


Blood Test

by 5wans_Kenobe



Series: House of Kenobi [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Blood, Clones, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Lightly twisted around the edges, Major OC so turn and walk away if this isn't your cup of tea, Redeemed Ben Solo, The galaxy finally repays Leia for her years of service
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:07:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 54
Words: 57,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24982063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/5wans_Kenobe/pseuds/5wans_Kenobe
Summary: This is a sequel to In Between DaysPart 4 of the House of Kenobi SeriesRey and Ben Solo face parenthood in the shadow of a new Sith Lord. Emerging from the shadows after decades, the mighty Count Dooku is unlike any Sith Lord in history. His motivations and plans for the galaxy are unknown. The only thing that is certain is that he will stop at nothing to find the family that has spent decades hidden from him. Wipolo and his family join Force Spirits in the struggle to fight against the most enigmatic figure in history.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker/Original Female Character(s), Beaumont Kin/Rose Tico, Kylo Ren/Rey, Leia Organa/Original Male Character(s), Padmé Amidala/Obi-Wan Kenobi, Poe Dameron/Original Female Character(s), Qui-Gon Jinn/Original Female Character(s)
Series: House of Kenobi [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808278
Comments: 9
Kudos: 25





	1. Blissful Existence

Location: The Netherworld of the Force

“What the hell did you just say?!” Leia didn’t care that she sounded shrill.

“I am not fond of repeating myself so I advise you to listen carefully.” Even as Mace Windu spoke the words, he realized he was making a strategic error. Most people were intimidated by his voice but Leia took it as a challenge. The Force rolled in waves around her, making his stomach feel sour. He tried to make his voice sound gentle. “I am not interested, young lady.”

General Leia Organa was not accustomed to being declined. The entire situation was perplexing to her. She was used to hearing useful phrases like _‘Yes, of course’ or ‘We’ll do this together’._ These responses were familiar to her but Mace Windu had flat-out rejected her. 

“I don’t understand. If you aren’t interested in me, then why the hell did we come here?!” Leia gestured to the picturesque waterfall.

“It’s a fucking waterfall.” He drew out the words as though speaking to a confused toddler. “I thought you might enjoy seeing a waterfall. At sunset. Because it’s pretty.” Mace snarled, his teeth bared. “I did not come here to kiss you or anything of _that_ nature.”

“So this is _a just friends_ type thing?”

“Yes, Leia. This is a _just friends type thing_. I am a Jedi Knight. I was celibate my entire life, why the hell would I change that just because I’m dead?!”

“I don’t know?!! Because you’re dead and all bets are off?! You’ve served your time.”

“Serving the Jedi Order is not a punishment. It is an enlightened path. I am honored to follow it.”

“Ugh! I hope you get killed by a _million_ butterflies!” she called over her shoulder as she stomped away.

“I’m already dead!” Mace yelled back.

⇆

Leia threw her hands up in the air. Damn it, she didn’t know where she was going. “Oh wait, I forgot. I’m dead too.” She breathed in and out, gathering her Force and teleporting herself through the Netherworld of the Force, to the edge of Lake Nooma. She sat down on the ancient rocks as the waves battered the shore. The sun hovered lazily over the horizon. 

The Netherworld of the Force was a blissful existence, she reminded herself. Blissful. She was healthy, youthful and safe. Her heart raced and she struggled to steady her Force. She could see the water ripple in sharp circles as her stormy mood projected outward. Blissful existence, blissful existence. Ugh! Being dead was driving her crazy.

⇆

She focused her mind and zipped herself back to the living room of her quiet, well appointed house. She looked around at the tidy home. It was unacceptably boring. Leia walked out into the quiet field behind her home. Across the wide field, she could see her half-sisters sparring with wooden staffs. 

Shadda, the 6 year old, waved from high up in a tree and stuck out a glowing tongue. “I ate three fireflies!”

Leia hurried toward them, wading through the tall grass. Starlings was battling mightily against her twin sister Swans as Sola stood by, criticizing them both. She could see Jinn, the eldest, weeping in the tree swing. This was much better. Chaos suited her.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the previous parts of the series, I enjoyed writing Leia's sections so much. I love her character and feel like I never got enough of her on screen in the movies. The idea of her in the Netherworld of the Force is charming to me - would she be able to let go of The Resistance and the career that had defined her life? How would Poe function without her guidance? 
> 
> In Between Days left off with Leia and Mace Windu, butterfly enthusiast, spending time together. Han had left the Netherworld to become One with the Force, in case anyone is concerned about his whereabouts.
> 
> Does the depiction of the Netherworld of the Force make sense? Do you have the same sense of Leia that I do - a vibrant soul that would not dim?


	2. Blissful Existence

Location: The Netherworld of the Force

  
Pale blue curtains drifted in the morning breeze. Every day in the Netherworld of the Force was the same as the last: temperate, sunny with a smattering of clouds for good measure. In the distance, wide Lake Nooma sparkled peacefully. It was, as always, a blissful plane of existence.

Padmé studied Obi-Wan over a sea of pillows. His blue green eyes were stormy. She gently smoothed the furrow between his eyebrows. “My love, why are you so cross?”

“You are sacred to me, Padmé. I cannot allow you to consider naming any child born from your exquisite body _Stewjon_.”

“It’s where you were born!” Padmé had been trying to come up with a name for their 6th child all morning. Obi-Wan had named Jinn but the other names had come from Padmé. After five daughters, she was having trouble coming up with a boy’s name. 

“I have no memories of living on Stewjon. Coruscant is where I grew up, in the temple. And don’t think about it - Coruscant would be a terrible name.”

Padmé’s eyes lit up. “Onaconda?”

“No! I still can’t believe you talked me into the twin’s names. Swans and Starlings? I must have been out of my mind.”

She smashed a pillow over his head. “I had a dream about two beautiful birds flying together through life. It was holy and beautiful. You’re not allowed to make fun of it. Plus they’re 27, we can’t change our minds now.”

Obi-Wan pulled the pillow off his head and yanked her body closer. “I can’t believe we’re having another baby. This is so exciting.” He kissed her knuckles and slowly pulled her hand down her between her thighs. He could feel where his cum was still leaking out of her from a morning of making love. “Are you sure sex is good for the baby?

Padmé turned to stare at him, astonished. “This is our 6th child, how is it possible that you do not know this?”

“I always ask you and then we have sex and then I forget the entire conversation. That seems to be my pattern.”

“Well, we just had sex so what do you think the answer was?”

He kissed her cheeks, her eyelids, her forehead before feasting on her ripe lips. “See, I cannot remember anything you just said.”  
  


⇆

Outside in the expansive backyard, Qui-Gon Jinn sat next to Swans. They had been tasked with watching the youngest Kenobi daughter for the morning. Shadda was six and was the unofficial padawan of Master Yoda. By all accounts, she was Yoda’s favorite apprentice of all time and he seemed to afford her a measure of familiarity he had not shared with his previous trainees. Shadda picked flowers for him to wear behind his large ears and hung on every single word he said. 

Qui Gon watched in fascination as Shadda attacked a tree with a painted stick. The stick split in half but she continued to batter away. 

“She’s on her 9th stick. Do you think we should stop her?”

Swans tilted her head, watching her little sister. “No, this is normal. She has 11 more sticks to go. I wonder if we should get her a pet?”

Qui-Gon sat up. “Clearly, you’re out of your mind.” He watched as Shadda switched to a large, new stick, using it to clobber the earth. 

“Rip, rip, rip!” Shadda yelled at the ground. 

“ _What_ is she doing now?”

“Oh Yoda, taught her the phrase Rest in Peace. R.I.P.”

“So she’s hitting the earth? That doesn’t seem restful. Or peaceful.”

Swans shrugged. ”She looks happy. Master Yoda would like her to attend Rey’s Jedi training temple one day a week so she can socialize.”

Qui Gon bit his tongue to stop himself from remarking that Shadda would terrify children her own age. “If Master Yoda thinks it’s wise, then by all means.”  
  


⇆

Padmé looked out the window at the scene. She watched curiously as Shadda tore a handful of grass from the ground. “Do you think our children are becoming progressively more frightening?"

Obi-Wan luxuriated in the cloud-like bed. “Absolutely not. Sola is clearly the most violent of them all.”

Padmé watched her youngest child repeatedly kick a tree. “And what _about_ Sola? Do we have any idea what’s going on with her and Poe? What do you plan to do about that?”

Obi-Wan lavished her shoulder with kisses and pulled her back into bed. “Are you asking me to interrogate the head of the Resistance about his intentions or do you want to let your 28 year old daughter manage her own love life?”

Padmé flopped into Obi-Wan’s arms happily. “I’m worried Sola’s going to kill him.”

“Then he’ll die a happy man. I know I did.”

⇆

Yoda hobbled up into the Kenobi backyard and Qui Gon marveled at the interactions between Master and Padawan. Shadda was suddenly content and began to contemplate cloud patterns with Yoda. Her expression matched his and her posture began to mimic his. Yoda’s sleepy eyes studied his Padawan, not breaking eye contact as she rattled off details of her morning.

⇆

Padmé watched Obi-Wan nestle into the pillow. She loved watching him sleep. Even though the war had ended without him, battles raged on in his mind. During the day, she had trouble finding the right words to reach him. He had seen far too much death. In sleep, she could comfort him easily with a kiss. 

“Are you staring at me again?” he whispered, his eyes still closed.

“You’re so cute when you sleep.”

His eyes opened and he wrapped her in his arms. “And what am I when I’m awake?”

“A raging firestorm of handsomeness. A wall of concealed emotion.” She kissed his nose. “Gods, I love you.”

He cupped her lovely face with his hands. “Why do you worry so much about me? You know I’m fine.”

Her lips trembled with unspoken emotions. 

“Padmé, my love, don’t be sad. I am the happiest man in the Netherworld.”

“You’re worried about Dooku, aren’t you?” she whispered the name cautiously.

“Of course I am.”

“You’re worry about our daughters? About Shadda? About baby Onaconda?”

He dove at her. “That will not be his name!”

“How about Corde?”

“Corde Kenobi, that’s a bit much.”

“Beara,” she said slowly. “Beara Kenobi.”

Obi-Wan propped himself up on one elbow. “Where did that name come from?”

“I don’t know. It just sounds right.” Her eyes widened. “Oh gods, did you plant that thought into my head?!”

“I may have. I want to avoid Obi and Oni Kenobi. Good gods!” 

“I’ll make you pay.” She smashed the pillow over his head again. 

He tore himself away from the worries of the world. Looking up at his beautiful wife, he was spellbound. Obi-Wan kissed her forehead with a contented sigh. “This is shaping up to be one of the best mornings of my life.”

Padmé frowned at him. “Better than your days as a knight?”

“My dear, after all these years, I fear you still don’t understand that I do not mourn the loss of a title. With you, my heart and my and my soul has expanded. I do not miss being a knight.”

“Are you sure, Master Kenobi?”

“Yes. Do you miss being Queen?”

“No but I do miss being a Senator.” Her expression turned playful. “Being a mother is quite lovely but no one takes notes when I speak or claps when I finish a speech.”

He kissed her deeply. “I applaud you, my wife. You are the very center of my soul.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve had this chapter written for quite some time but I never knew where to put it. Padmé and Obi-Wan’s relationship is one of my favorites to write. I want Obi-Wan and Padmé to have a joyful afterlife together, even if their children are becoming ‘progressively more frightening’. I’m also trying to explore the damage The Clone Wars has on Obi-Wan.
> 
> How do you think Obi-Wan was affected by his time in the Clone War? Do you like him as a doting father? Do you love the idea of Padme and Obi-Wan as much as I do?


	3. Yavin 4

Location: Yavin 4 Base

Poe set a frame down in front of Ben Solo. It was a picture of a pretty girl, who looked about the same age as Rey, wearing a Resistance uniform.

“Lieutenant Tallie Lintra. She was from Pippip, she had parents, a sister. She grew up on a farm. And you killed her. Not one of your wingmen. Your TIE Silencer fired on the Raddus hanger and _you_ killed her.”

Ben stared blankly at the picture. It was going to be a very long day. He had come to the Yavin 4 Base meet Rose for lunch but Poe had cornered him in the hallway. Still recovering from a spinal injury, Ben had only recently begun using a cane. He hadn’t been able to limp away fast enough when he’d seen Poe headed in his direction.

He stared at the picture silently, knowing that anything he said would be deemed insufficient, insensitive, evidence of his lack of humanity. Ben didn’t blame Poe, he didn’t doubt he had killed this sweet looking young woman. He didn’t have the right words to express the kind of regret he felt for his past. Every new day, felt like waking up from a long horrible dream into a new life. 

“I want you to tell me everything.” Poe’s voice was sharp. “Every single thing you know.”

“I don’t have time to tell you my life story.”

Sola Kenobi bounded into the conference room. She kissed Ben between the eyes. “Are you being a dick?”

“No.” He glanced at the framed picture and then at Poe. “I’m here to officially surrender.”

Sola clapped happily. “Oh that’s so nice! Leia will be pleased.”

“I want to protect my Mother’s memory.” Ben’s voice was lower than usual.

“I want him to tell us what he knows.” Poe’s glance drifted to Sola’s off shoulder gray tunic, wishing he could kiss her shoulder blades.

“Oh yes, of course." She leaned forward. "Ben, what Poe means is that we’d like to know specific trade route patterns, fueling stations, fuel and part vendors, replacement and new. Call numbers of any ships you happen to know, off hand. Make, model and number of the entire First Order Fleet. Star Destroyers in use or in production, distributors and suppliers of various weaponry, protective gear, locations of hospitals or third party medical vendors. That sort of thing.” She turned to Poe. “I think we should be writing this down. Can you get some paper?”

Poe hurried back to his desk. 

Sola turned on Ben, her eyes flashed with fire. “I am your Aunt and I will not leave here until you’ve answered all of Poe’s questions. Even if they’re stupid or inconsequential. He’s very stressed out and it’s important for him to feel like he’s doing a good job.”

“I’m trying to be helpful. I’ve already gone through most of this with Rose”

“Well, we’re going through it again and don’t leave anything out! If you thought Leia was a pain in the ass, just turn up that dial-“

“I've missed you, Sola,” he spoke quietly. 

Sola’s face spread into a beautiful smile. “You missed me? You’re so sweet. I missed you too.” 

“When did you dye your hair?”

Sola touched her hair shyly. She had recently dyed her hair light pink. “Poe hates it.” She grinned playfully.

“I don’t hate it. I think it suits you.”

“Oh, I just love you so much!” She hugged him, peppering his cheeks with sloppy kisses. She fussed with his unruly hair.

His eye lit on her small hands. “Wait- are you and Poe engaged? Is that a ring on your ring finger?”

“That’s my _finger finger,_ dummy.” Sola's voice was snippy but she proudly displayed it for his inspection.

“Sola, that looks a bit like a wedding band.”

“Oh my gods, I can’t believe you noticed! It’s a secret but we got _married!_ Like 5 days ago.” Her voice grew serious again. “I’ll stick pins in your toes if you tell anyone. Well you can tell Rey but if you tell my father, I’ll wake you up every hour, on the hour until you eventually have a nervous breakdown.”

He smiled a genuine smile just as Poe returned with a mangled notebook.

Poe had initially disliked Sola’s conspicuous hair color but, looking at her now, he was awestruck by how pretty she looked. Her presence soothed him completely and he found himself smiling idiotically, wondering if they’d have time for sex before his afternoon meetings.

Sola was leaning her head on Ben’s shoulder. “I want a map of the first order fueling facilities. I think we should coordinate a strike, knock out their fueling options, shoot out their hyperdrives, then blow ‘em up as they head to the nearest planet.”

Ben loved how affectionate his Aunts were and settled into Sola’s arm around his shoulder. “Why not disable their hyperdrives then bribe the nearest planets not to allow them to land? Let them run out of fuel. Then board them, picking them off one by one.”

“That sounds expensive. We can get hyperdrives cheap but who knows about the bribes?” 

“Think of it as an investment. We could bag a lot of ships. Plus less casualties.” Ben pointed out. 

Poe scrambled taking notes. 

“Good idea. I think it’ll generate some nice headlines.”

“What?” Poe looked at Sola confused by their callousness. 

Sola ignored him and touched Ben’s beard. “This is hideous.”

Ben shrugged. “Padme thinks I look nice. Sola, you should be asking about manufacturers. Either the First Order can buy weapons or we do. Highest bidder gets the ships, guns, protective gear...”

“They won’t sell to _us_." 

“Then you’re not trying.”

“We can’t afford to outbid the First Order.” Sola reasoned.

“Yes, you can.”

“How?”

“Change your business model. You need more established figureheads to secure financing.”

Poe bristled. “Oh do tell. I suppose you mean you.”

Ben smiled down at Sola. “Oh, absolutely not. Sola and I are both liabilities.”

Sola cringed and nodded.

Poe’s head snapped up from his notes. “Don’t talk to her like that.”

“It’s true. We’re not helping your reputation” Sola’s voice was quiet. “Poe honey, can you grab us some tea please?”

Poe stiffened. He was irritated to be ordered around but his head was killing him. Sola had been gone when he woke up and no one had reminded him to eat breakfast. 

As soon as Poe left, Ben turned to Sola solemnly. “Leia gave me a suggestion.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't do much work introducing the characters of Swans and Sola Kenobi, Obi-Wan's daughters. I sort of imagine that anyone reading this has read my previous stories. If you haven't, do the characters make much sense? 
> 
> I like the idea of Poe being stuck in Leia's job despite him being ill suited for it. 
> 
> This work gets into topic of guilt and moving forward. I think Ben Solo, as a character, carries a heavy load of guilt. Any advice on the topic?


	4. Happy Place

Location: Yavin 4 Base

  
Ben poked his head into Rose's office. "Porg butts." he whispered as he knocked. "How’s your life?"

"Another Imperial Star Destroyer surrendered today. We're getting that motherfucker repainted ASAP."

"Congrats."

Rose fake smiled. "And look at you. You look absolutely horrible. I thought we agreed that beard was history."

Ben pretended to be hurt. "It’s my disguise." 

“Disguise? Oh honey, You’re 6’4 and dressed like you’re attending a bronze pour on Mustafar. Didn’t that outfit come with a cape?”

“No. Just, like, a big bullseye painted on the back. Oh wait, watch this.” Ben struggled to concentrate. “See?”

“What exactly am I supposed to be seeing?”

“My face- I can alter my image. Swans taught me how.”

“Well, you look exactly the same.”

”Wait.” Ben refocused and changed his face into Hux’s. 

“Creepy, convincing. Kinda sexy.“

“You thought Hux was sexy?“

Rose hugged herself. “I used to imagine the two of you making out. It was kinda my happy place.”

”Well, yuck to that.” Ben transformed back. 

"You could at least get rid of that facial hair. It looks like you individually glued pubes to your face."

"My grandmother said I look distinguished." Ben tossed his hair. "Padme Amidala knows a thing or two about style." 

"Your grandmother lying so you don’t feel bad about yourself."

"How are you and Beaumont doing?"

Rose pretended to organize papers. "He’s kind of annoying but we get a lot of exercise together."

"Rey and I get a lot of exercise too." Ben smiled 

"What’s it like doing it with a Force user?"

"Like having an extra pair of hands."

"Ooooh, Ben Solo, are you blushing?"

"Um."

"What’s going on with that adorable Wipolo Nagg?"

Ben froze. "That’s a big question." He looked around the room. "Is this room secure?"

Rose shook her head. "Nope."

Ben leaned in toward her. His hands touched her forehead. He closed his eyes. **Can you hear me?** He spoke through their Force connection.

 **Loud and handsome!** Rose's eyes sparkled.

**Where do I begin? Have you heard of Count Dooku?**

**He was a traitor, right? Died during the Clone Wars. If I remember correctly, your sexy-as-fuck evil grandfather, Anakin Skywalker sliced off Dooku’s hands and then his head. Gods, he's savage. Is Anakin seeing anyone?**

Ben leaned in closer. **What if Count Dooku was still alive?**

**I’m guessing that’s a terrible thing. No head, no hands.**

**You know how Dooku helped create the Clone Army?**

**Ummm. Yeah. Well sort of.** Rose stared at him, blankly. **I'm not super sure about how that timeline went down.**

**Well Dooku cloned himself. Anakin killed a Dooku clone. The real Count Dooku is the Sith Lord now**

**What the fuck? He’d be like 200 years old. Does Poe know this?**

Ben nodded. 

Rose’s eyes were big as saucers. **How do you know this?**

**I saw Dooku.**

**Where?!**

**Rey and Obi Wan and I went to get a sonogram.** Ben held up a blurry black and white picture.

Rose snapped up the picture. **Wait - Is your baby OK?**

**Oh yeah. Hana Rose is bopping away. But Dooku showed up.**

**What?**

**Dooku came into the sonogram room.**

**Oh fuck. Did he try to hurt you?**

**We’re fine. Dooku went after Obi-Wan. I'm not totally sure why.**

**He's OK right? I mean he was already dead.** Rose tilted her head. **Gods, Obi-Wan is probably the second hottest Jedi in history. Or maybe it’s a solid tie with that Qui Gon guy? He and Swans are a thing, right? I bet they have amazing sex.**

**Rose, try to focus.**

**Wait. wait. Wait. How is Wipolo connected to this? Did he tell Dooku where to find you?**

Ben shook his head **. You can’t tell anyone.**

**Wipolo is darkside?**

**He’s Dooku’s grandson.**

Rose pulled a blank stare. "Well fuck a duck. Are you fucking serious?" She thought about the file folder on her desk. There’d be time to discuss that later. "What a fucking mess." **Wait, is Wipolo a good guy or bad guy?**

**Totally kind good guy. He and his family are in hiding from Dooku.**

Rose typed on her datapad, looking up Dooku. "Oh my gods, this tall, majestic silver fox is Count Dooku? He doesn’t look particularly evil."

"Read up on him, it’ll give you chills."

"So he’s not cackle, cackle ‘I’m a going to amass an evil empire and squash the galaxy’?"

"No. He’s a ‘I will manipulate you all into destroying the galaxy for me whilst I drink tea.’ kind of guy."

"He was a Jedi, right?" 

"He was before he became jaded."

" _Jaded_ is like when you think your boyfriend is a nice guy but he turns out to be sending dick pictures to a bunch of girls."

"Do people do that?" Ben frowned, looking down at his lap. 

"Constantly. People constantly, constantly do that." 

"Huh."

"I mean not Beaumont. He’s like so paranoid, he puts tape over the camera on his datapad when we have sex so someone doesn’t hack into his camera and take sex videos of us."

Ben looked at her, completely confused. 

Rose patted his arm. "Sometimes I feel like I’m defiling you which is weird since you, like, spent half your life being evil."

"That was more strike _terror in the deepest reaches of your soul kind of stuff_. We stayed away from naked holonet videos stuff."

Rose started to fuss with Ben's hair. "Wait - I have good news! Because I’m running for godmother of the century for our little dyad wonder baby, Hana Rose, I am fast tracking this. She held up a bank note for 200,000 billion credits.

Ben titled his head. "What’s that?"

"A bank note, dummy. I know you can read.” She fixed him with a withering glare. “You have seen money before, right?"

"To be honest, it didn’t come up a lot. Please don't give me that look."

"Look at what it says."

"200,000 billion. Is that a lot?"

"Yes, idiot. That’s a lot. Look the comment. For Planetary Deflector Shields. We’re building shields for all our bases!" 

"How many bases do you have?"

"Poe has plans for 8 bases. And I think we both know that means that Sola has plans for 8 bases and Poe is putting his name on it."

"Of course."

"So Ajan Kloss will be protected. Someone anonymously donated this. Can you freakin believe it?"

"Um, Alderaan had a planetary shield? And that went _super_ well."

"Well yes, but now our planetary shields are badass."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing Rose and Kylo together! His flat affect and her sense of humor go well together. I needed to get to the deflector shields but I don’t know enough about them to convey it easily. Is it was too confusing? I don’t know enough about their monetary system to write it smoothly. What do you think?


	5. Shrine

Location: Yavin 4 Base, Engineering Quarters

**All things must be leveled.**

Harry blocked out his Grandfather's unwelcome voice in his head and concentrated on his desperation to have his own room on the Yavin 4 base. He had been with the Resistance for 2 years, having joined up after the Battle of Crait. Along the way, he had slept on the ground or on the floors of bug infested makeshift structures for months on end before moving with the fleet to Yavin 4.

No matter where he went, his living space always included a small shrine to Leia Organa. He had repurposed a shoebox box with pictures gleaned from history books and magazines depicting the stages of Leia’s life.

⇄

When the fleet had first moved to the Ajan Kloss base, the engineering team had convinced General Organa to visit Harry’s shrine in person. Hoping to lift the General’s spirits, Rose Tico had pulled Leia into the Harry’s shabby quarters. Standing in front of his shrine, Harry hadn’t been at all embarrassed. He had grinned like a madman as Leia’s face flushed with embarrassment and then broke into a magnificent smile. Harry had happily inhaled Leia’s soft perfume and memorized her gruff voice.

Including that strange day, Leia had spoken to Harry exactly five times before her death. He had her exact words written down in his journal but they were also etched into his heart.

1\. “Thanks for volunteering. Did somebody named Swans send you?”

2\. “Harry! Move that damn thing out of my way before somebody trips.” 

3\. “Now look what you made me do? You made an old lady blush. Gods, where did you find all those pictures of me?”

4\. “Hurry up, Rose is looking for you!”

And his favorite:

5\. “Harry, you better put a shirt on. You’re distracting me.”

When she’d told him to put a shirt on, he’d felt light-headed. Not only did she know his name but she thought he was attractive.

Her death had hit him hard. Sure, his shrine to her was a bit goofy but he genuinely adored Leia Organa. He was starstruck around her, as most everyone was. And if she had been in slightly better health, Harry would not have let the 26 year age difference stand in his way of seducing her.

At 28 years old, Harry had a steady flow of partners. He preferred women but didn’t limit himself sexually. Born Harlon Pio Seranno Navarre, he was the easy going middle child of his family. He was athletic but didn’t have a sport he was passionate about. He thanked his lucky stars that he didn’t have his brother Saffin’s strong connection to his grandfather’s demons or his younger brother Wipolo’s force abilities. Harry was the best looking and the most talented at masking his true identity. 

**As I honored her, I will honor you. As I protected her, I swear I will protect you.** Ugh. Harry tried not to cringe as Count Dooku's voice repeated in his head. **_As I honored her, I will honor you. As I protected her I swear I will protect you._ **

It had been a long day between the damn voice in his head and constructing the advanced Comm system Rose had requested. 

**_All things must be leveled_ ** **.**

Yep.

He showered with a coconut scented soap that reminded him of the perfume Leia had always worn. He shuddered, thinking of her bright brown eyes as he toweled off and quietly crawled into bed. His roommates, Elise and Isaac were immediately all over him. Harry wanted to pretend he had a headache or backache but Elise had braided her hair like Leia for him. Again. It had been exciting the first time but their threesome was going on two weeks straight and he wished he could think of a reason to leave. Isaac kissed him passionately and massaged his scalp as Elise pulled his boxers down. Harry sighed shakily, the scalp massage was incredible. 

Even as Elise bobbed up and down his cock, Harry couldn't stop scheming ways to be transferred to a single room or request to be placed with someone new. Hopefully someone frequently off base or celibate. He was tired of the role playing, the restraints, tired of generating the dominant yet respectful dirty talk, tired of having his personal space invaded, tired of cheerful post-sex conversation. Harry was tired of being tired.

**As I honored her, I will honor you. As I protected her, I swear I will protect you.  
** **All things must be leveled.**

His Grandfather's voice in his head boomed. **  
  
**Elise looked up at him with hopeful eyes. _Gods, this again?_ Elise and Isaac's dirty talk didn't usually bother Harry but today it felt forced and theatrical. He weighed his options and decided it was easier to simply play along. Harry forced himself to play his dominant role. He had to get this routine over with or he'd never be able to get some sleep.

Harry pulled out Elise's mouth and gripped her by the braids. "I don't think you're even trying." he spoke in a rough voice.

She licked her lips. "Please? I'll try harder."

"Try?"

"I want you." she breathed.

"What do want, baby?" 

"I want your cock. Please let me suck your cock. Please, please, please?"

Harry stroked himself slowly, holding himself out of the reach of her eager tongue. "You better choke on it."

"I will. I'll suck you so hard."

Harry rewarded her by slapping her cheeks with his stiff cock.

Elise smiled and licked her lips. "I want to swallow you whole."

"Open wide. C’mon, wider. Open your sweet little mouth."

Elise opened her open wide and he began pumping into her mouth. She moaned loudly as she gagged.

Harry's eyes drifted to Leia's shrine in the corner of their room. Harry forced himself to fantasize about Leia, hot unmarried Senator Leia Organa. He imagined her looking up from between his legs. It was enough to push him over the edge and he came straight down Elise's throat. 

  
**As I honored her, I will honor you. As I protected her, I swear I will protect you.**

The voice was trying to break him. Repeating and repeating. Somewhere in the galaxy, Dooku must be in a foul mood. It was the worst day Harry could remember. On top of the booming voice, Elise was babbling in his ear about how badly she needed to feel him stretch out her cunt. Harry tried not to grimace. Fucking was out of the question. He couldn’t concentrate. Luckily, Isaac and Elise wanted to have sex in the shower. Harry pretended to fall asleep and shoved earplugs in to block out the moans.

As Harry stared at the desk clock, he tried to calculate possible durations of the sex ahead of him. Looking back at their previous sessions, it seemed most likely that he and Isaac would fuck Elise’s mouth and cunt, probably switching out positions midway through. Then he’d make them both lick him back to hardness. He'd do some more of his dominant routine, making them beg along the way. Then Harry would lube up to fuck Isaac and it would probably end with Elise going down on Isaac or perhaps Isaac would want to fuck her. It would be more efficient if Isaac fucked her, Harry decided. He stared at the shrine of Leia, imagining her naked as he tried to get himself right mindset.

 **All things must be leveled.  
** **As I honored her, I will honor you.  
As I protected her, I swear I will protect you. **

Harry frowned, staring at the clock. Is this what his life had come to? Blocking out voices in his head while waiting around to fuck and be fucked? Or could he figure out how to break away? What would General Organa do in this situation? Looking at himself in the mirror, he realized how badly he wanted to leave. It wasn't as though he didn't like Elise and Isaac, he simply didn't care about them. None of this mattered. Keeping the earplugs, in Harry went in search of his supervisor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry (Harlon) is a new character for me. He was an extra character in my previous work In Between Days. I wanted to have someone who was a contrast to the well mannered Jedi. 
> 
> What do you think of him? Do you think he fits into the world?


	6. Reassigned

Location: Yavin 4 Base, Rose Tico's Office

Harry knocked on Rose Tico’s office door. "I know what you’re going to say."

"That would be amazing because I wasn’t planning to say anything. In fact, I was getting ready to leave for the day." Rose’s voice was emotionless as she pretended to be irritated, staring at her screen. In truth, she liked working late and was secretly delighted to Harry. She had always liked the quiet, sexy assistant engineer.

Harry cleared his throat. "Um, I think it would be probably be best if I changed rooms."

Rose's face broke into a smirk. "Off the record, it would probably be best if you didn’t fuck every single person on this base."

"You and I haven't fucked."

Rose gave Harry a once over. "Oooh, pass." Rose winked.

Harry squirmed in his seat.

Rose laughed. _Gods, he was hot. Carmel skin, wide shoulders, soft voice, intelligent eyes. Whew._ "I'm your supervisor and I have, like, the smallest touch of ethics. Soooooo, instead of moving your room for the 6th time, I’m going to reassign you! Isn't that the best idea ever?"

Harry sat up straight. "What? Reassign me?!"

"That is correct. Your hearing, like your effortlessly sunkissed hair, is absolutely perfect. I’m sending you to work on a deflector shield generator for Ajan Kloss." 

"I have no idea how to do-" 

"Oh Harry, Harry, Harry." Rose sighed dramatically. "Is this the part of your routine where you mention your lower than average score on our engineering screening test?"

"Yes. Absolutely."

"Just like you did last time I tried to promote you?"

Harry gulped. "Um, yes?"

"That’s hilarious because _this time_ I actually have a counter argument to your ‘I don’t know how to do anything above basic repairs’ speech. Cue the dramatic music." Rose tapped her fingers on the table. "You failed the engineering screening test on purpose!"

"I - I did not." Harry sputtered.

"Now you’re just straight up lying. That Comm system you fixed today - "

"I finished it, by the way." he interrupted. "Can I have tomorrow afternoon off?"

"That’s _just_ awesome you fixed it." she deadpanned. "Because I took it apart yesterday, on purpose. Which took a really long time and I broke a nail. Turns out, setting up that particular comm system is the final exam at The Royal Academy of Engineering on Coruscant."

"I didn’t go to school there. You can check." Harry spoke too quickly.

"Well you went to school somewhere. For engineering."

"You would have a very, very hard time proving that." Harry's voice was suddenly quiet.

"Whatever. I’m guessing you specialized in Astronautical engineering. And you’re good." She rolled a bolt across the desk. "Only one leftover part."

Harry stared at the bolt. "I couldn’t figure where it went." 

"It was a trick. It's extra - it goes in the trash. Perfect score."

Harry’s eyes widened. "No comment."

"So I’m assigning you to develop a planetary shield for Ajan Kloss."

"A deflector shield generator requires a continuous supply of energy output - the maintenance costs would be extraordinary."

"Turns out, we have private donor who is more than happy to pay for it."

Harry’s shoulders fell. His mother was paying for it. She must’ve found out Wipolo was on Ajan Kloss. 

"Aren’t planetary shields usually reserved for important military installations?"

"Ajan Kloss will be an important base."

"More important than here?!"

"You’ll build one for Ajan Kloss first. Then here and then I think you’ll have 7 others after that."

"Why me?"

Rose sighed. "I feel like we _just_ went over this, Harry. That comm system that you basically built from scratch usually takes students a week and guess what - it took you 5 hours." 

"Kriff. I was just trying to get the afternoon off."

"So you could take a nap because you’re sooo overtired from having sex with the sexy roommates you’re trying to escape?"

"Maybe?"

"So - here's a bonus for you - on Ajan Kloss you get to be roommates with the one person I can be positive you won’t sleep with: Wipolo Nagg."

Harry looked at Rose with his best poker face. "I've never heard of Wipolo Nagg."

"Really? Because you’re brothers, right? I mean seriously, you look exactly alike. You have a better nose but he has prettier eyes." 

Harry froze. 

"Is that your surprised face?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing for Rose. I didn’t want it to sound like she was sexually harassing Harry. Does it come off like that? 
> 
> How on earth do deflector shields work? Help?!


	7. Trials

Location: Ajan Kloss

A low, modulated voice crackled through Wipolo Nagg’s black market Comm Link. He froze. It was a secure device, used only for family emergencies. "Help me Wipolo Nagg! You're my only hope."

Wipolo recognized his brother’s code number. "What the fuck, Harry?! This better be serious!" 

"No time to explain - I need you to stop whatever you're doing and contact my supervisor, Rose Tico! You need stop her from reassigning me to Ajan Kloss!"

Wipolo frowned. He missed his brother but it made no sense for an engineer to be assigned on a base with nothing to do. “Why the hell would she be sending you here?"

"I'm um, building a planetary shield." Harry hedged.

"What happened to your ‘I’m a stupid guy‘ routine?"

"Well, it seems to be going about as well as your _harmless doofus_ routine." Harry voice fractured with the encrypted connection.

"This is crazy. Planetary shields are ridiculously expensive."

"I think Mom found you're there and donated a shit ton of money. Maybe Grandma?"

Wipolo checked the time. "Fuck. I've gotta go. I've got bigger problems here." 

"No, no, no! Rose is putting in the transfer right now. I can see her cute little fingers typing away. Damnit, I like the way she chews on her pencils."

Wipolo hung up and turned to face the courtyard. Rey was walking slowly toward him. She had a particular way of looking at him that made him feel braver than he felt. 

"I'm staying with you today."

"You don't have to." Wipolo said half heartedly. He was grateful she was standing by his side as he faced day two with Yoda. 

⇆

The previous day, Yoda had tried to break through Wipolo’s Force Block. 

The diminutive Jedi Master had stared at him for a solid hour before speaking. "Open your force, you must."

"No." Wipolo fought to keep his voice steady.

The conversation looped over and over several times until Yoda lapsed back into silence. Yoda closed his eyes and Wipolo wondered if he had fallen asleep. After two hours, Grand Master Yoda opened his eyes and informed Wipolo he would return the next day and then vanished.

⇆

Wipolo stood motionless beside Rey. "Don't be scared." she whispered.

"Too late."

Yoda‘s Force Spirit appeared and slammed his walking stick into the ground. "Open your force to me, you must."

Wipolo bowed his head. "I can’t."

"Open your force, you must." Yoda repeated, louder. 

"No."

Another Force Spirit Jedi appeared beside Yoda. Rey recognized Mace Windu immediately. He ignited his violet lightsaber directly in front of Wipolo’s face. "What if I cut off your leg? Right at the kneecap?"

"I don’t think you would." Wipolo spoke quietly.

Rey held her breath. 

This seemed to anger the elegant Jedi. "I am Jedi Master Mace Windu. I knew your Grandfather very well. It could be argued that disabling Dooku’s offspring would benefit the galaxy-"

Wipolo stood up straighter, looking Mace directly in the eye. "It would violate your Jedi code." Wipolo spoke quietly. "You are forbidden from attacking unarmed opponents as well as seeking revenge."

Wipolo looked up to see Jinn materialized next to Yoda. He had not seen her since he revealed that he was Count Dooku's Grandson. His breath shuddered as he wondered what she thought of him. She was the woman of his dreams and he was the spawn of incestous Sith Lord. Wipolo sighed heavily. He had told Jinn so many half-truths during their brief relationship. He felt his resolve weaken and his brain raced, trying to think of excuses. Jinn stared blankly at him, her sea green eyes dulled by sadness. 

"We asked Consular Jinn Kenobi to join us. I do believe you two are well acquainted." Mace's voice was icy and condescending.

Jinn bowed deferentially. "Master Yoda, Master Windu." 

"We were just asking young Wipolo to open his Force to us."

"I cannot do as you ask, Master Windu." He turned to Jinn. "However much I might want to."

"I command you to open your Force." The violet blade hummed, moving closer to Wipolo’s face.

"Master Windu!" Rey cautioned. "You cannot -"

"Like hell I can’t!"

Wipolo stepped even closer to the lightsaber. His eyes didn’t break away from Jinn as he spoke. "Master Windu, I request you lower your weapon."

Yoda nodded slightly at Mace who reluctantly switched his saber off. 

Wipolo’s eyes remained locked on Jinn as he slowly stepped in front of Yoda, bowed and sat down at his feet. It was a gesture Jinn had seen many times before. A strange chill ran through her as she realized what it meant. Yoda’s head tilted slightly as he acknowledged the posture of supplication. Jinn could hear the wind rushing through the treetops as everything she knew about Wipolo was recolored by his symbolic gesture.

"What are you doing?" Mace asked. 

Wipolo remained silent. 

Yoda nodded, fully understanding what Wipolo was trying to tell him. "Rise."

Wipolo stood silently, knowing what would come next.

Mace covered his mouth with his hand as Yoda handed his lightsaber to Wipolo. His voice was firm. "Form I: Shii-Cho."

Wipolo nodded solemnly.

Jinn’s eyes grew wide as she watched Wipolo ignited the lightsaber and moved through the classic form she had learned as a child. 

Yoda continue. "Form II: Makashi. … Form III: Soresu. ...Form IV: Ataru. … Form V: Shien & Djem So. … Form VI: Niman. … Form VII: Juyo…" Wipolo remained focused on Jinn as he moved through the forms without a flicker of emotion.

Yoda studied him. "Complete, your training was?"

Wipolo nodded. 

"You favor what, Soresu?" 

"Makashi. My enemy’s form is my best form for study." 

"Who trained you?" Mace questioned.

"No comment."

Yoda walked slowly in a circle around Wipolo. He noted Wipolo stood with one hand behind his back. 

It started to rain lightly. 

After a long pause Yoda nodded to Wipolo. "Fear for your family's safety, you do?" 

"Only the dead are safe from him." 

Yoda nodded. "Indeed."

Wipolo stepped towards Jinn, his eyes pleaded with her. “If my Force is open at all, it is open to my Grandfather. If he can find me, he will use me to find my Mother, my Grandmother. I do not trust myself to withstand the torture.”   
  


Jinn pressed her lips together. “The Knights of Ren tortured you.”

”That was physical. _He_ would do much worse.”

Jinn touched Wipolo’d hand. He closed his eyes as her touch radiated warmth. “The voices you hear, the visions - that’s your Grandfather?”

Wipolo nodded. "Every day without my grandmother makes him more resentful." He turned to Yoda. “You knew him well, Master Yoda.”

”So thought I. Yet know him, I did not.”

”Perhaps you'll remember how hard it is to say no to him?”

”That I do.”

Wipolo turned away from Yoda and Mace. He was mentally exhausted. "I’ve betrayed my family enough for one day. I request that you please leave us." He dismissed them with a half raise hand.

Mace lurched forward, furious to be waved away like a youngling. Yoda nodded deferrientially. "Much we have learned today. Meditate on this, the Jedi Council of the Netherworld shall."

Wipolo accepted their departure gratefully. He was beyond caring what anyone thought of him. 

Mace and Yoda left instantly. Rey hesitantly stepped into the space they’d occupied. "Um, I’ll let you two talk."

Wipolo walked to Jinn slowly. He felt like he was stuck in a nightmare, his feet moved in slow motion. He fell to his knees before her. "I lied to you. I'm sorry. How do I make this better?"

"You can’t. I don’t know you. I don’t know a single thing about you." Jinn covered her mouth with her hands, holding back a sob. She disappeared into the misting rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to give Wipolo a chance to show his character. I like thinking about him saddled with the baggage of his heritage in a different way than Rey. He and his family have grown up with the Dooku name hanging over them. Do you think he’s believable? Is Mace too harsh?


	8. Blood Transfusions

⇄

Location: Serenno

Count Dooku was irate. He had killed a detective that afternoon. The man had been unsuccessful at tracking down information about Obi-Wan. The idiot had given him a clipping from the Galactic news: Obi-Wan’s obituary. “As if I couldn’t look this up myself!” He had roared as he sliced through the man’s chest. His servant would clean up the mess. He stormed out of his sitting room, annoyed that the man’s pulpy lung tissue clung to his shoes. 

He had seen Obi-Wan with his own eyes. He had heard the chipper Coruscant accent and marveled at his unlined face. He breathed deeply and decided that he shouldn't have been surprised. If he was alive, why shouldn’t someone else from the old days be puttering around. He guessed Kenobi was 90 years old give or take a couple years. 

What was Obi-Wan doing to stave off the ravages of time so effectively? Dooku had undergone genetic therapy, plastic surgery and organ transplants before finding blood transfusions. Twice weekly, his blood was completely replaced with that of a fifteen year old. He had tried the blood of other vintage but found that the blood from anyone younger just made him jumpy. 

Dooku didn’t make a habit out of looking in the mirror but he knew he looked like a 50 year old. His hair was grey but his face was smooth. Obi-Wan, on the other hand, looked like a 35 year old. He sighed sharply, allowing jealousy to creep into his mind. He had certainly heard rumors over the years about the formidable Jedi Knight. There had been some nonsense about him being holed up on Tatooine. The Emperor had told him that Obi-Wan had been killed by Vader. The Emperor had lied to him so many times that he believed almost nothing the decrepit hag had to say. Dooku had once heard a story that Obi-Wan had been spotted on Batuu. That story, told to him by some idiotic crime lord he had murdered, suddenly rang true. The criminal had said Obi-Wan was around Black Spires, looking like a young man. 

⇆

Dooku scoured the holonet for articles on Obi- Wan while he sat for his blood transfusion.

Tinky, his blood donor of choice, looked over his shoulder. The thickly built teenager had few social graces and Dooku always tried to avoid conversation with the child. He always failed. He often wondered if she’d suffered a brain injury as a child or if her mother’s frequent absences from her life had been the cause of her unpleasant personality. 

Her shrill voice grated his nerves. “Who’s that?”

“Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi”

“Ew.” Her lips curled into a sneer whenever she spoke. “He’s old and ugly.”

“I’m not interested in your opinion of General Kenobi’s appearance.”  
  


Tinky shrugged and took pictures of her apple juice with her datapad, uploading them to social media. Dooku couldn’t imagine a duller existence. Perhaps it might be sadder to be one of the poor souls who voluntarily viewed her pictures of apple juice but it was a toss up.

Tinky stared at his datapad with her flat, expressionless eyes. “Kenobi? Like Sola Kenobi?”

“Who’s that?”

“The Decapitator. She’s trending on the holonet. She cuts off people’s heads.” 

Dooku was momentarily lost in thought, replaying the mildly unsettling memory of watching his clone being beheaded by Anakin Skywalker. “Decapitator? Is this one of your little holodramas, Tinky?”

“No she’s real.”

Dooku pondered the term _real_ . It seemed like a blurry line for a teenager who spent most of her time curled up in a fetal position, staring at her datapad. Probably breathlessly waiting for _likes_ on her apple juice photos.

He sighed, trying not to look at Tinky’s wide face. “And what does she cut heads off with, dear? An ax?”

“No, a lightsaber.”

Dooku sat up in his chair as Tinky brought up a video of a petite, blond teenager welding a purple lightsaber. Purple? 

He paused the video and stared at the beautiful blond, frozen on the screen. It had been a long time since anything had truly surprised the Count of Serenno. Despite the light hair and savage expression, he clearly saw the resemblance. This Kenobi girl was the offspring of Padmé Amidala.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so very excited to be writing Dooku!! What are your thoughts about him? 
> 
> I’m taking liberty with the lifespan of Serenno- otherwise my storyline falls apart. I do want to explore Dooku’s obsession with staving off the ravages of time.


	9. Sonogram

Location: Ajan Kloss, General's Quarters

Ben was going through Shii-Cho Forms slowly, trying to strengthen his back muscles. 

Rey sat in the middle of their bed, clutching a small black and white sonogram print out.

“It doesn’t look human.”

Ben lifted his head to study the image. “Have you been sleeping with Neimoidians, by any chance?”

“How could you say that? Ben felt a force blast hit him between the eyes like a strong slap. Rey studied his pained reaction to see if she’d done it correctly 

"My god, which of my Aunts taught you how to do that?" Ben hobbled over and collapsed on the bed, his head in her lap. 

“Swans taught me. I should sell your carcass to the Mohsenians-“

Ben cut her off with a soft kiss. His large hands traced the sides of her face, making her heart lurch. 

“Have I told you lately how desperately obsessed I am with you?”

Rey fought to maintain a scowl. Ben leaned even closer, playing with the edge of her tunic

Rey’s refined features transformed into a tight smile. Any time he complimented her, she couldn’t stop herself from checking his eyes to make sure he wasn’t lying. She wasn’t accustomed to love.

“Can I see your little undershirt?” 

“Ben, don’t make fun of my clothes.” 

”I’m not making fun of them. I want to a suck your pretty pink nipples right through the fabric.” He started to pull the tunic off her shoulders but the look on her face made him pause. 

“You’re not OK, are you?“

She pursed her lips and looked down at him. Her eyes brimmed with tears. She mouthed the word _Dooku_.

His playful expression shifted like a storm cloud. “I’m scared too. With the Emperor, we knew where we stood. I don’t understand Dooku. But Wipolo and Qui Gonn have to know something. Yoda knows him - Dooku was his padawan.“

Rey swallowed hard as she nodded. She cradled the sonogram picture. Tears ran down her cheeks. She never hid her pain from him and he admired her for it.

Ben played with the edge of the tunic again. He met her eyes tentatively. “Um I spoke to Beaumont - I mean, Professor Kin when I was on Yavin 4 and he said you haven’t returned his messages about gravesites. He said when he told you about burial records, you never asked where your parents were.”

“I didn’t?“

“He thinks your family was buried on Naboo. I think we should go there.”

“No! I mean, why?”

“Because that’s what you do. You visit the graves of your loved ones. That’s sort of the point of cemeteries.”

Rey nodded half heartedly. “I don’t want to talk Professor Kin.” She smiled a pained smile. 

“We can go together.”

“It’s not that.” She turned away. “I don’t want them to be in the ground. For so long, I searched the sky for them. I don’t want them to be in the ground.”

Ben pulled her into his arms. “I know. But now that you know your Mother’s name, you can mark her grave. Panlin deserves that.”

Rey shuddered at her mother’s name. 

Ben could feel the fluttery force of their unborn daughter tremble along with her.

“And,” His voice dropped to a whisper. “You need to know if your twin sister is buried with them.“

Rey would never say it out loud but she could sense that her sister would not be there.

  
  



	10. The Right Man for the Job

Location: Coruscant

  
Sola and Lando Calrissian met at a bar on Coruscant. She had suggested Dex’s Diner but Lando had laughed loudly through the com link and promptly hung up on her. His choice was the smoke filled, upscale Skysitter Restaurant. It featured an expansive city view and lax security. Sola found a fully armed Lando sitting alone with two glasses of dark liquid. He was shirtless, wearing dark suit, a necklace made of bones, a royal blue cape and matching shoes.

“What are we drinking?”

“Corellian whiskey, my favorite.“

Sola sipped the dark liquid and tried not to make a face. “That’s rough stuff, sir.“

Lando laughed. “Why did you contact me Miss Kenobi?”

“I could use your help.”

Lando studied the girl. She had pink hair, a pretty face and a silver wedding band. She looked like a random, harmless teenage girl but he knew better. At age 28, Sola Kenobi was already notorious. He saw other diners whispering, discreetly snapping pictures of her with datapads. 

”They’re watching you.”

Sola’s forehead creased with irritation as she glanced around. She hid her calloused hands in the long sleeve of her loose black one shoulder dress. A borrowed dress, Lando guessed. It fit so poorly, gaping at the armpit, that it made her appear even younger.

“Well, that attention is one of the things I need help with, Sir.”

”Please, call me Lando. Having a reputation isn’t always a bad thing.” Lando mused.

“I don’t want my actions it to hurt the Resistance’s public image.”

“You mean, Poe’s public image? I heard you two were together. What happened to Zorii Bliss?”

“She stole his wallet and left him handcuffed to a bed. I’m just kidding. I think she just took off.” She smiled sweetly. “I didn’t murder her, I swear.“

“Maybe I’ll look Zorii up.” Lando smirked.

“Not an age appropriate choice but who knows, maybe she likes grandpas.”

“Ouch. You sound like Leia.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You should. Back to your problem. How is Poe?”

“Stressed out.”

“Gods, That poor guy.” Lando noticed Sola’s frown. “Not poor guy because he’s with you. Poor guy because he’s stuck behind a desk. That boy loves to fly. He should be leading squadrons, training a new generation of pilots.”

“But Leia chose him to lead the Resistance. She picked him to be her successor.”

Lando took a long sip of his drink. “Leia didn’t always choose the right man for the job.”

Sola’s eyes widened, letting this comment sink in. “But - but you were friends with Leia and Han.”

“Oh, Han was my best friend. I loved him like a brother but I didn’t love the way he treated his wife. Leia _and_ her mother Padmé didn’t pick the right men for themselves.”

Sola nodded. “Maybe not the first time around?”

“Who is your father, dear?“

“My last name is Kenobi. Who do you think?”

Lando raised his eyebrow. “Padme and Obi-Wan, was that a good match?”

A radiant smile lit up Sola face and Lando finally saw the resemblance to Padmé. Datapads flashed all over the room, as patrons took pictures. “Yes. My parents are very happy. They are expecting another child. I will have a baby brother.”

None of Sola’s parentage made a bit of sense to Lando but he was intrigued. “How many is that?“

“Six if you don’t count Luke and Leia.”

“Leia is well in the Neverland?“

“Netherworld.” she corrected helpfully. “And Yes. She sends you her love.”

“Man, I do wish I could take her up on that in person. Is Han there?“

“No. He was was there for a period of time but it didn’t suit him and he chose to become one with the force.”

Lando nodded slowly, thinking how sad Leia must be. “That sounds about right.” He suddenly felt old.

Sola clinked glasses with him.

“To Han.”

“To Han.” Lando snapped out of his melancholy as more datapad cameras flashed. “You said your reputation is one of the things you need help with. What else is going on?”

Sola leaned forward. “Can you keep a secret?”

Lando flashed her a blinding smile. “Please let it be something good.”

”Ben Solo.”

“He’s dead, dear.“

“But what if he’s not? And what if he’s on our side now?” Sola paused, thinking how happy she was that Ben’s memory was all the way back. Her smile radiated joy remembering she had an appointment to spar with him later on.

Lando sat back, taking in the news. Maybe Leia wasn’t so sad after all. ”Oh, now Ben Solo is quite a challenge. But I think I know exactly how to handle this.”

Sola slid her drink over to Lando. “Leia said you would.“


	11. Arrival

Location: Ajan Kloss 

Wipolo Nagg paced back and forth in the courtyard. He knew what was coming. 

Anytime the ancient security system on Ajan Kloss alerted them of an approaching ship, Ben Solo came stumbling toward the landing strip, lightsaber in hand, ready for battle. Rey was usually close behind, reminding him of the arrival of construction workers scheduled to work on the temple or food deliveries. 

Today Rey was first. “Something is very weird. There are four people but only three of them have a Force.”

Wipolo squinted up at the Resistance's YC-123B transport hauler approaching. “My brother is coming.”

⇆

Harry watched the lush jungle landscape of Ajan Kloss come into focus. _What the fuck had he gotten himself into?_ He tried to avoid eye contact with his cheerful supervisor.

“Are you excited to see your brother, Wipolo?” Rose was trying to drive him crazy. 

“Never heard of the guy.” Harry grumbled. 

“Is that a hickey on your neck?” 

“That _is_ one of the more common areas to find hickeys” he grumbled.

He was massively hung over and sore from the farewell party Elise and Isaac had thrown for him. He’d taken two showers and still felt dirty.

Rose sipped a cup of iced chai. “We had some fairly serious complaints about the noise level in your room last night. I imagine you were up late playing cards? Or maybe watching a movie?”

“Yes, that’s exactly right. A movie.” 

“Was it about cockfighting, perhaps?

“No. We were enjoying a classic called The Rusty Trombone.” 

Rose quickly typed the phrase into her datapad and gasped. “Whoa.”

Harry was pleased to have shocked her into silence. “I enjoyed it immensely.”

“Were you the performer or the instrument?”

Harry pretended to check his nails for dirt. “My body is a well tuned instrument.” He laughed when Rose coughed.

⇆

Rose let Harry exit the transport on his own while she finished researching new sex terminology. He had no luggage, just a backpack.

⇆

Rose purse her lips dramatically. “Rey, Ben, Wipolo. Let me introduce you to our astronautical engineer. This is Harry Cavilia or is it Cavilla or do you pronounce it Nagg?” 

“Please, just call me Harry.”

⇆

Wipolo studied his brother from head to toe. Harry’s eyes were bloodshot, his skin was sallow.

“That’s quite a collection of hickies.”

“You should see my ass.” Harry craned his neck, looked around the base. “Are the birds always this loud? Where are we sleeping?”

Wipolo stopped him in his tracks and touched his brother’s temples silently. Soft blue light radiated from his fingertips. “Shhhh.”

“What the hell are you-“ Harry’s head buzzed with a pleasant, healing force. “Oh my gods, my hangover is gone. How did you learn how to do that?”

“Jinn.”

Harry noticed his brother’s pained expression.

“Did Jinn find out about our family?”

Wipolo nodded, as the blue light on Harry’s temple dimmed. 

“I’m guessing she’s not OK with it?”

“She didn’t really like finding out about it second hand.”

“I know it sucks but it is safer to be alone.”

“I don’t want _safe_ , I want Jinn.”

“Well, you don’t want her to be dead.”

“She’s the daughter of Obi-Wan Kenobi. She’s one of the most highly trained Jedi in the galaxy. She’s equipped to deal with a certain level of danger.”

Harry squinted at Rey’s ass as she bent over to pick up Ben’s cane.

“Any chance I could seduce Rey? She seems very well equipped.”

“She’s pregnant with Ben Solo’s child and they are deeply in love. But you can always give it a try.”

“So, I should probably cross Kylo Ren off my list too? He’s not really my type. Kindly sweaty plus he looks like a biter. Are there any other Kenobis or sexy Jedis roaming around?”

Wipolo stopped himself from mentioning Leia Organa’s frequent visits to the base, remembering Harry’s shrine and complete fascination. He’d let it be a surprise.

⇆

Rey talked to The Fortitude’s pilots, Dreanna Conunda and Gandris Dyun as they unloaded food and flatpack furniture for the temple while Rose handed off a box of legal documents to Ben. 

“This is awkward but there’s no way to avoid it.”

Ben swallowed hard. He hated surprises. 

“It’s Leia’s last will and testament. Technically Commander D'Acy is the executor of her estate but she doesn’t want to acknowledge that you’re alive and on top of that she really, really hates you.”

“That’s fair.”

“Plus I feel like Leia’s a Force Spirit is sorta omnipresent so if anything is really confusing you can Spirit Dial her for clarification.”

Ben shrugged “Um, OK.”

“Oooh, you look cute when you shrug like that.’ Rose twisted Ben’s hair from his face, fussing over his waves. “So your mom left you a shit ton of property on Naboo and some other planet called Christophsis, but that seems to be just a ceremonial garden dedicated to Bail Organa. Then there’s this.” She pointed at a series of squiggly lines. “I don’t even know how to pronounce this.”

“It’s an island called  
Galina in the Silver Sea on Chandrila.” Ben held the paper gingerly. “That’s near where I was born.”

“Awww.” Rose squished his cheeks. “So your mom bought you an island there? That’s _totally_ normal.”

“It was a gift from Mon Mothma to celebrate my first birthday.”

“Oh, of course.” Rose rolled her eyes. “ALL of _my_ islands were gifts from her as well.”

“I could name one of the beaches after you, if you’d like. Rose Beach.”

“I love it when you name things after me. Can there be a large bronze plaque with my picture, looking all creepy?”

“Not life size. It would look like I had you frozen in carbonate.”

“What about just my profile? I like my nose.”

You’d be denying future generations of beach goers a full view of your perfect lips. That seems criminal.”

“My lips are pretty?” 

“Rose, I could write a book.”

⇆

As usual, Rey found Ben and Rose looking at pictures on her holopad. 

“Noooo. You will not wear a turtleneck dress to a formal event. It’s not a bonfire party on a preschool playground. You need to wear that off shoulder one.”

“The red one with the train?! I can’t walk around in that?”

“You cannot seriously think a turtleneck will look OK? You’ve got a nice chest. Why would you hide it?” 

Rose looked up at Rey and then back at Ben. “I hope you know that I love you more than cake.” 

“I love more than cake too.” 

Rose patted the couch next to her, piled with paperwork.

“Anyway, so Leia’s estate is supposed to go to Rey unless Ben happens to be alive and not, I quote, ‘no longer a murdering sack of shit’. Like, Leia wrote those exact words in her perfect princess handwriting.” Rose shrugged, gracing Ben with a smile. “I kind of think you’re totally not super shitty anymore because we’re too busy having best friend Force Chats about what you ate for lunch.”

“You should consider revising that statement. You literally spent 35 minutes telling me what you had for breakfast this morning. I had a protein bar. See how long that took? 5 words, 6 syllables”

“You’re jumpy today. You should take off that tank top immediately. It’s so filthy, I cannot believe Rey tolerates you walking around like that. Did you like, slaughter animals this morning? Dig a well?”

“I trained with Wipolo.”

Rose glanced over at Wipolo in the courtyard. It was the first time, she’d seen him smile. He was hugging Harry. “Who’s the older brother?” She called out.

“He’s one year older!” Wipolo grinned. 

Harry smiled. “I’ve never seen him before in my life.”

⇆

Rey walked Rose back to the Fortitude. “Um, why did you come in this gianormouse ship?”

Rose looked around before answering. “You _do_ know who Harry is, right?”

Rey nodded. “Are you worried about his safety?”

“We’re concerned about his safety and making sure he gets from point A to point B. In the past, Harry has been a little hard to keep track of. Poe and Sola are concerned about everyone’s safety. They’re putting together a security plan.”

“OK. That’s vague. Last question: What was the formal dress up thing you were talking about?”

“Oh, the dedication of the new base on Naboo. Didn’t Poe tell you?”

“No.”

Oh yeah, you and Ben are going. Not together, of course. I mean, that would look weird.”

“Ummm, what?”

“Yeah, they’re announcing Ben’s surrender. It’s gonna be the event of the year.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing Rose’s character - I like the dynamic of her being Ben’s first real friend and her instant appreciation of him.
> 
> Harry is the raciest character I’ve ever written. I ♥️ him.


	12. New Mission

Location: The Netherworld of the Force, Library Archives

Anakin liked visiting Starlings during her lunch break at the library. He liked seeing her at work, her hair tucked behind her ears, her eyes focused on distant concepts. She emerged from the Jedi Archives carrying a large journal.

Every time she smiled at him, he was dumbfounded. She was heartbreakingly pretty and smart. Her sun streaked blond hair fell to her waist and seemed to have its own gravity. As her ocean green eyes caught his, he was reminded how lucky he was. He was lucky she didn’t hate his guts, for starters. He was even luckier that she regarded him as a research project. 

They had spent hours and hours reliving his memories of The Clone Wars. She often took notes and prodded his memory with history books and holopad articles. 

Unlike her sisters, Jinn, Sola and Swans, Starlings Kenobi had chosen to stay within the Netherworld of the Force. She worked 7 days a week as an archivist and now her friendship with Anakin occupied much of her free time.

Anakin passed her a thermos of tea. He enjoyed the intimacy of sharing a cup. “What are you reading?” Anakin pointed to the thick leather bound journal.

“Some of the speeches You gave when you were a Jedi.” 

“I never made speeches.”

“I stand corrected - your reports to the Jedi Council.”

“Those were recorded? My gods, that must be boring.”

“Not at all. It’s quite an enjoyable read. I feel this record will be useful reference material for our future discussions.” 

Anakin’s heart soared. He desperately wanted a future of any kind with Starlings. 

“I’m enjoying viewing the war through your experience. My Father’s reports are here as well. Those are more uncomfortable to read.”

“Why?”

“It’s difficult viewing the decisions of the Jedi Council through history’s lens. They were hemmed in by their blind allegiance to the Republic and incapable of making independent decisions.”

“We were being manipulated.”

“Yes, that’s quite clear. Palpatine and “Dooku’s manipulations created an inescapable framework for failure.” Starlings held the book lovingly. “The tone of my Father’s reports changed over time. He became disillusioned and I believe battle wore away at his heart.”

“Obi-Wan never allowed despair to cloud his judgement or affect his treatment of others.”

Starlings liked how unwaveringly loyal Anakin was to her Father. She found it attractive on many levels.

“The tone of your reports changed over the course of the war as well, Master Skywalker.”

Starlings was the only one who used his Jedi title. To everyone else, he was simply Anakin.

“I can’t imagine I had anything interesting to say.”

Starlings didn’t like that most people in the Netherworld regarded Anakin as stupid for falling under Palpatine’s spell. He had certainly uttered his fair share of idiotic phrases but, she was careful to note, he had risen to power at a young age. As a military strategist, he had no rival. He was brilliant. She planned to prove that with the research paper she was writing about him.

She regarded Anakin critically. His lips curved naturally into a smile and he blushed easily. It pleased her to remember the sensation of kissing his soft mouth.

He took the thermos of tea back from her and offered her a sandwich he’d brought for her lunch. She studied it before taking a bite. “What are you thinking about?”

“About kissing you. I’m always thinking about kissing you.” He leaned across the table and touched his nose to hers lightly. His eyes studied hers, waiting for the permission to proceed. Her eyes sparkled and she rolled her eyes playfully before closing the space between their lips. He was always so hesitant to touch her but overwhelmingly passionate when he did. She sighed contentedly as his lips parted hers. His tongue darted hesitantly between her lips. He tasted like chai tea and apples. Her fingers raked through his long hair. A chair squeaked somewhere in the reading room of the library and they hastily parted. 

She smiled at him sweetly. “I’m also working on a theory that you have a negative influence on those around you.”

“Um, what?” He wiped at his lips, noticing her lipstick had sparkles. “Did your parents find out about us?”

“Not yet. But with two intelligent parents and hundreds of gossipy Netherworlders, that time will come soon enough. I’m not terribly concerned.”

“Um. I am.”

“Back to the reports. It’s all terribly sad.”

Anakin tried to calm himself. Thinking about Obi-Wan’s reaction to Anakin dating his daughter chilled his blood.

“I am noticing the quality and frequency of my mother’s written work declined over the duration of your relationship.”

“That’s - that’s not my fault.” Anakin sputtered, instantly regretting the comment. He wanted to yank the words back out of the air, rewind the conversation.

“Oh, I don’t think it’s your fault. I think it’s your negative influence. I’ve been monitoring myself for mental degradation.”

“Am I making you dumber?” He couldn’t hide his alarm. She was so much smarter than him, he was positive he wouldn’t be able to notice.

“Not dumber.” She covered her hand with his. “Simply less capable of independent thought.”

He recoiled. 

“I’ve been meditating about it and I believe I have a working theory: I believe your childhood as a slave made you not only susceptible to tyrannical control but also more comfortable within that role.”

“No.”

“You readily accepted being taken from your mother’s side.”

“To train as a Jedi!”

“Please don’t yell. This is a library.”

“I’m not yelling.”

“Let’s consider your eagerness to submit to demanding control of the Jedi order or the utterly subservient compliance demanded by the Emperor.”

“Those are two completely different situations.”

“Both situations demonstrate your willingness to step into shackles.”

“Being a Jedi was my career.”

“A _career_ you weren’t willing to give up after you married my mother -“

“Padme was my wife. She didn’t want me to have to give up being a Jedi just because we were married.”

“Does that sound remotely correct when you say it out loud?”

Anakin frowned. He didn’t like how this lunch was going. 

“I surmise that you preferred to live a life built on lies because you couldn’t imagine a normal life without the chains of some sort of severe servitude. Sadly, it was how you demonstrated your worth. You were unable to adapt and move onto a mature relationship, even when you were faced with fatherhood.”

“I was trying to protect Padme. There was a lot more going on. You’re forgetting about the prophecy.”

Starlings rolled her eyes. 

“I had premonitions of Padmé’s death.”

“You had some nightmares or stress dreams and went running back to the easy black and white framework of oppressive servitude.”

“I had predicted her death.”

“And how accurate was that premonition?” 

“I was wrong.”

“You made it true. You were so convinced of your own power, so arrogant in your role role as her owner-“

”She was _my_ wife.”

”Your wife, meaning your property?” Starlings challenged.

”That’s not what I meant! You’re twisting my words!”

”Considering your childhood, it doesn’t come as a huge surprise that you pushed Padmé’ down into the role of slave. You did not want her to rise up against you. When she defied you on Mustafar, you tried to kill her for it.”

Anakin felt like he’d been hit.

“She defied your wishes by becoming pregnant. It wasn’t what you wanted. The prospect of fatherhood held too much uncertainty so you headed to only thing you knew which had brought calm and security to your life: Enslavement.”

“You think I’m just a fucking idiot, don’t you?” Anakin said quietly. “My mother, Shmi was killed.”

Starling gave him a withering stare. “Yeah. My mother was killed too.”

“Why do we have to talk about this?”

“Despite the fact that you had proven yourself to be a brilliant military strategist and respected General, you chose to latch onto Qui-Gonn’s prophecy gibberish that literally no one else cared about.”

“It wasn’t gibberish! I was the Chosen One.”

“Watch your voice level, Master Skywalker. You’re way, way too loud. By the way, I’m noticing You’re quite attractive when you’re angry.”

“Starlings, are you trying to completely freak me out?!”

“No, I am making the argument that your enslavement created an unhealthy framework for your life. You were and continue to be so extraordinarily powerful that your Force projects outward. Unfortunately you were immature and you became a negative influence over my mother. Over the course of your marriage, you grew controlling of my mother as a means of protecting her as you saw that as your role as her owner.”

“I never thought of her like that.”

“As an extraordinarily powerful Jedi, you projected your distress onto those around you. You wanted those around you to either be subservient to you or enslave you. I don’t think you knew you were affecting those you cared about so negatively but I can chart your mounting distress over the war and her diminished role as a senator. She traveled less and less.”

“She was pregnant.”

“Not for three years. I’m looking at her decline over the course of your marriage. I am interested in how the whole fiasco of your secret marriage, endless lies and resulting paranoia effected her. Also, I can see my Father grow more dependent on you in reports to the Jedi Council.”

Anakin stared at Starlings, furious. “You think I manipulated Obi-Wan?”

“Again, you’re both too loud and also totally missing the point. I am not saying you were trying to trick anyone. But I see a direct correlation between your discontentment and the diminishing independence of those around you.”

“That sounds awful.”

“Yes it definitely sounds completely awful.”

“Well, I’ll make sure to save you from the same fate. I wouldn’t want your intellectual output to be negively affected by me.”

“ _Negatively_?”

“What?”

“You said _negively_ affected by me. “Negively. That’s a funny way to say that word.”

“Bitch.” He whispered.

“Pardon me?”

You’re a bitch, just like your Mother.

Starlings’ eye twitched as she Force Hurled the leather bound journal at Anakin’s neck.

“What happened?” Anakin opened his eyes to find himself on the carpet behind the check out desk of the library. 

“I hit you with the book several times, then I had to drag you behind the desk so as not to alarm other patrons. I will not tolerate you speaking unkindly of my Mother.”

“I’m sorry I called your Mother a bitch.”

“I doubt your sincerity.”

Anakin looked up at her from where he lay. He was in no hurry to get up as he had a perfect view up Starlings skirt. He had a hard time peeling his eyes away from her blue underwear. “I felt threatened by what you were saying. It made me feel like I shouldn’t be around people because I make them unhappy and helpless.”

“You don’t make me unhappy or helpless.”

She smiled her spectacular smile and he felt like the sun was shining for him alone. “I’m aware that your affection for me extends into your Force energy. You like spending time with me. If I had an untrained mind, there might be danger we might escalate into an dependent relationship. You strongly desire our relationship to advance physically and romantically to the degree you might resort to manipulation in order to further your goal. Fortunately, I desire you as well. My mind is well trained and I am able to monitor and address your Force influence over me. It is certainly not an issue for me.”

“What?”

“I’m a good match for you because I’m a Force User and any temptations you might have to bend my will would be useless.”

In a flash, Anakin pulled Starlings down to him. His long arms wrapped tightly around her. Her long blond hair hung like a curtain around their faces. 

“I’m so sorry. I’m horrible. What did I do to deserve you?”

“I don’t believe that’s how a relationship works. Our souls are well suited for each other, that’s all.”

“Oh, if that’s all.” His smile was playful as he traced the outlines of her face. 

He marveled that this strange, beautiful woman cared about him. He had given up on himself long ago. Hoping that she might care for him, knowing him as well as she did, almost physically hurt. She examined the red mark on his neck with a giggle. 

Emotions played over his face: relief, happiness, gratitude, arousal. 

She kissed the bruise and smiled sweetly. “Does your neck hurt?”

“Not much. Was I unconscious for long?” 

“Longer than I expected.”

When he kissed her lips, he opened his Force wide to her. Her Force flowed over and around him, overwhelming yet as neutral as milk. She was stronger than he had ever realized. He focused on meeting her, not bowing under her or trying to overshadow her. It would take time to alter his Force. As he breathed in her breath, he felt contented to finally have a new mission.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t mean to to keep coming back to Anakin but I’m so drawn to him as a tragic figure. I didn’t think much of him until I watched Clone Wars.


	13. I have failed you

Anakin’s knees ached. On mornings when he sparred with Obi-Wan, he had a long standing habit of kneeling while he waited for his former Master to arrive.

He thought of Starlings scorching assessment of his character. He paused to consider his tendency to arrive early because he wanted Obi-Wan to see him kneeling. His former Master always told him that kneeling was unnecessary but his heart warmed when his subservient gesture was acknowledged. What the fuck was wrong with him? He forced himself to sit with his back against the wall like Qui Gon did. It was time to change, he needed to change if he wanted to keep Starlings. Did he just say keep? Even the voice in his head was demented.

Obi-Wan stumbled as he entered the dueling practice room. Anakin knew in an instant that his friend had not slept. His brain froze. Did Obi-Wan know about his relationship with Starlings? He scrambled to remember the speech he had prepared. What was he going to say again about fate and destiny?

Obi-Wan sat down across from him. He didn’t make eye contact. Anakin took a deep breath and prepared himself for a verbal attack.

“Could I have stopped you on Mustafar?” Obi-Wan whispered.

Anakin was startled. “You did stop me. You cut off my legs and my arm.”

“No I mean, could I have brought you back from the dark side?”

Anakin sighed heavily. They’d had so many versions of this same conversation. His heart ached for Obi-Wan. Guilt had worn deep grooves in his soul. The words echoed in his memory. _Anakin, I have failed you._

He strained to remember the moment. The waves of searing heat, the sickening thrill of challenging his master, confidence in his conviction strengthening his Force.

“I had already turned.”

“No! You were still you. I dismissed your attempts to reason. I told you that you were lost. I kept telling myself I’d failed you - as if you were already dead, as if I were simply tasked with exterminating a soulless entity. Yoda gave up on you but I should not have. Qui Gon would not have.”

“Master, no.”

“I heard you ask for my help and I left you alone. I turned away from your cries for help.”

“I never cried for help. I told you that I hated you.”

“No.” Obi-Wan’s voice broke with emotion. I heard you when you said, ‘Help me, Master.’ But I followed orders, not my heart. I left you to suffer, hoping you would die quickly. My inaction created Vader and sealed the fate of billions of lives across the Galaxy.”

Anakin couldn’t think of what to say. He never had the right words. Past versions of this conversation had ended with him running to Qui Gon or Yoda for help. Starlings had told Anakin that he wanted to control or be controlled. When things got complicated, he turned to someone stronger. He couldn’t keep turning away from confusing situations. A person he loved was suffering. 

“I failed a fundamental test of character. Turning my back on you proved that you were right about the Jedi. I betrayed you.”

“Come here.” Anakin hugged his friend and did not try to stop his Master’s tears. In the past he had tried to distract his friend or absorb his guilt. Today needed to be different, pain must be accepted and acknowledged. “Obi-Wan, what would Qui Gon say?”

“He would remind me to focus on the present.”

“We cannot change the past. What can we do now? I want to move forward.”


	14. Remotely

Location: The Netherworld of the Force

Anakin’s heart sunk like a rock when Padmé rushed into the dueling practice room. “Have you seen Obi-Wan? I’m afraid he’s in a state today. He was up late with the girls talking about the war.” 

Anakin nodded. “We had a rough morning. But he’s better now. He went to Ajan Kloss.”

“Oh. OK.”

“He wanted to talk about Mustafar.” 

“Oh gods. Again?” Padmé covered her mouth to hold back a sob. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to cry.”

“It’s alright.” 

“I hate it when he gets like this. Obi-Wan blames himself.”

“He shouldn’t. If the tables were turned, I would have done the same thing.”

“He doesn’t believe that,” she sighed heavily. “He has always been sure you could have found a way.”

Her hair was different. It took Anakin a moment to realize it was tightly braided away from her face and woven together with gold threads to match her dress. 

“I hear congratulations are in order.” He was trying harder to be civil with Padme. They’d been fighting continuously since he’d arrived in the Netherworld of the Force. She had never forgiven him for strangling her and forsaking their life together. Anakin had never gotten past her relationship with Obi-Wan. Most days they simply ignored each other, occasionally snarling at each other like a pair of ancient housecats.

She leaned against the wall next to him. “Did Obi-Wan tell you our son’s middle name will be Annakin?”

He _was_ surprised. “I don’t know what to say. What _is_ the right thing to say when your ex-wife tells you she’s naming her 6th child with another man after you?”

“You _could_ say, ‘How nice’ or 'I’m honored'.”

“It would have been _an honor_ to raise my own children.”

“Anakin, stop. You were a pile of garbage back then.”

He opened his mouth, about to snap back at her but stopped himself. He thought of Starlings and the small strands of hope he was clinging to. It was time to be mature.

Padme slid her back down the wall slowly until she was sitting down beside him. She held him in her steady gaze. Her eyes studied his for a moment before speaking. “I apologize for marrying you.” 

Anakin was speechless. 

“Our marriage set you on a downward path of lies multiplying upon themselves. Your feelings for me were too intense. It twisted your fate and you could not crawl out of the shadow of our deceit.”

“You _didn't want_ to marry me. Even when we were saying our vows. I could sense it. I warped your will,” Anakin whispered.

“You didn’t. I married you of my own free will, you didn't make me.” 

Starlings’ words repeated in his mind. “I didn’t have any reference point for a healthy relationship. We could have had an affair but I didn't want that. I wanted to marry you because I didn’t understand how to be in a dating relationship like a regular person. It was total possession or nothing.”

“I was older. I knew better and I should have been the mature one. I should have left you alone.” 

“I think my neediness combined with my Force literally forced my will onto you, like a Jedi mind trick. I didn't set out to do it but I'm pretty sure that's what happened.” 

“No, that’s not true. I would have known, wouldn’t I?” She squinted at him, thinking back. “Do you really think so?”

“Padme, I was so obsessed with you. I was fixated. Young and powerful is a bad combination.” 

“Don’t forget handsome.” 

Anakin’s cheeks flushed. “You don’t have to be nice to me.” 

“I do. I know you and Starlings care about each other.” 

He startled. “You know?!”

Padme nodded. 

“Does Obi-Wan know?”

“He’s the one that told me. It's fine.”

Anakin couldn’t hide his relief. Relief washed over him. “Starlings is working on a theory that my Force plus my need to dominant people created a warped energy around me. I guess made everyone around me unhappy back then.”

Padme laughed. “Like every other 20 year old boy in the galaxy?” 

“But unlike every other 20 year old boy, she believes I directly influenced those around me. If I wanted something or someone badly enough, I used my Force to manipulate the situation.” He smiled sadly. “Think about it Padmé, you never asked me to leave the Jedi Order.”

“The Republic Army needed you.”

“I could have remained a General and we wouldn’t have had to hide our relationship. But I wanted to stay in the Order, I wanted everything to be on my terms.”

Padmé frowned.

Anakin forced his voice to remain gentle. “You didn’t bat an eye when I slaughtered the Sand People. You told me, 'To be angry is to be human.' Does that even remotely sound like something you'd say?”

"No." Fresh tears spilled out of Padmé’s eyes. 

“You asked me to leave Mustafar with you. And you actually meant it. Even after I had killed so many Jedi and the younglings. You would have allowed me to share your bed and raise children with me?”

“Maybe?” Padmé’s face crumbled. Her eyes drifted to the wall behind them, remembering the anguish of their last moments together.

“Starlings thinks that I manipulated everyone for years, from when I first met Qui Gon to the day I died in Luke’s arms.”

“I didn’t know you died in Luke’s arms. Oh my gods, why am I _always_ crying?!”

“Because you have a strong heart. Just like your children.” He bowed his head. “I am grateful for the chance to love Starlings.”

“You _love_ her?” Padmé couldn’t hold back a small smile.

“How could I _not_ love her?” 

“Good point." She smiled. "There’s no one quite like her. Or like you.”

Anakin sat up straighter as a terrible thought flickered through his mind. Padmé had always been vicious to him because _he_ had held hatred in his heart for her. Now that he had a reason for the two of them to get along, she was being nice. How much of this was he still controlling? 


	15. Lucky

Location: Ajan Kloss

Wipolo and Harry shared the peculiar Kiffar trait of not needing any physical space. Rey marveled at how close the two stood while talking to each other and how they frequently put their arms around each other’s shoulders. 

When Rey and Ben ate meals, they sat across from each other. Despite their height, Harry and Wipolo often shared a chair or jammed themselves right next to each other at a picnic table. If Rey tried to eat something on Ben’s plate, he stared at her like she’d grown a second head. When Harry and Wipolo _weren’t_ sharing a plate, they were sharing a protein bar or cups of iced chai.

Rey interrupted them watching a holonet video about architecture with Ben. Wipolo’s arm was draped around his brother. It made almost no sense to Rey that that the two could be comfortable sharing a chair.

Harry smiled warmly at her but Wipolo looked slightly worried. He studied Rey’s face. “What’s wrong?”

Rey pressed her lips together. “I realized that I’ve seen _his - your Grandfather’s_ ship before. Back on Jakku.”

Ben paused the video.“It probably just looked like-“

“A pristine vintage Punworcca 116-class interstellar sloop?” Rey interrupted. 

“I’m _sure_ they made more than one.” Harry interjected.

“I called it my _lucky ship_ because when I saw it, something good always happened. I’d find some amazing new scrap pieces or I’d find a book, like a real book. Or a crate of rations, or a blanket or credits. One time I even found a medical kit.”

“Did you ever see him?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. But I had no idea who Dooku - I'm sorry - your Grandfather was.”

“Do you think he was keeping you alive?” Ben reached for her hand.

She nodded. 

“You think _he_ knew where you were the whole time?”

“But he - he-“

“He kept you hidden from the Emperor?” Ben frowned unable to make sense of the situation.

“Why would he want to keep me alive? Was he protecting me?”

“It likely you were part of his plans. He’s all about _big plans_.”

“But why me? Why not my mother?”

Harry looked down. “Your mother, Palin, wasn’t wasn’t strong with the Force.”

“You know about my mother?!“

“Our brother does.“

Ben’s mind clicked. There was another brother. “Does he know about Rey’s sister?“

“Probably?"

”Can you ask him?”

Harry turned to Wipolo, checking for his approval before proceeding. "Our brother is not always well. His connection to our Grandfather's memory is taxing on his health. But we can try to ask him."

Tears spilled out of Rey’s eyes. "Why didn’t your Grandfather just kill me? He couldn’t have possibly wanted Palpatine's heir to survive. If I’d died he’d be closer to being the Sith Lord."

Wipolo's voice grew quiet. 'We believe that our Grandfather knew that he needed _you_ to kill The Emperor because he wasn’t strong enough." 

"She’s stronger than him?" Ben questioned.

"I don’t know if she's stronger on her own. But together, yes, we think you are stronger than he is."

"Maybe that’s why he attacked Obi-Wan at that clinic, not either of us?"

"No he sincerely hates Obi-Wan. That’s a whole different thing."

Rey shuddered, a sudden chill ran through her body. There was so much about this situation that she didn't understand. "Is he trying to find an apprentice?"

"Our Grandfather doesn’t care about the rule of two." Harry bit his lip. "He’s an intellectual, the dark side isn’t a line in the sand for him. There’s no need for Darths and Knights. He doesn’t operate like that. The force is just the force. He wants there to be light and darkness. There is power to be welded from both sides."

Ben turned to Wipolo. "Why didn’t _you_ tell us about this." 

"It isn’t my information to share. We really shouldn't be telling you any of this."

Harry shook his head, irritated. "Grandfather already knows about them."

"I’m tired of hiding. I'm tired of all of this." Wipolo rubbed his eyes, overwhelmed and tired. "He knows how powerful you both are. But currently you don’t suit his needs." 

"I - I don’t understand what he wants." Rey said softly.

"We don’t understand his plans but we do know what he wants most: his family. He views us as his property."

"Do - do you think he helped me stay alive all those years -" Rey’s voice broke with emotion, "because he views me as his property. As his future vessel?" Her hands covered her stomach, protectively.

Harry nodded. "That’s a pretty good guess. Whether he sees you as a vessel or a blunt instrument of the force, he has you in his sights."

Wipolo nodded. "Welcome to the club."


	16. Nocturnal

Location: Ajan Kloss

Every night since her death, Leia had traveled from the Netherworld of the Force to Ajan Kloss to check on Ben while he slept. She liked to look in on him in the early morning hours, like she had when he was a toddler. 

Ben looked so sweet when he slept, she could still see the boyish side of the man he’d become with his large shoulders and unruly hair. She tiptoed out of the building where Ben and Rey slept, careful not to make a sound. Closing her eyes, she breathed in his Force. Her shoulders lowered as she felt his soul’s contentment echo against Rey’s as they dreamt. _He was safe_ , a smile played across her lips as she turned away. 

Across the courtyard, the new Jedi training center was complete. She marveled at the building Starlings had designed. The structure was an homage to the great temple on Coruscant. Five pires rose from the roof. _What did those towers represent again? Tranquility, knowledge…_

⇆

Harry couldn’t tell if he was dreaming or not. He had gotten up to go to the fresher. He stumbled in the dark, unused to the layout of the base. In the distance, he could see a figure dressed in white. It almost looked like Leia. He remembered stories from his youth of sailors lured out to sea by visions of beautiful women in the mist. 

He crept closer to the heavenly vision: white dress, dark hair hanging loose to the waist. .

Leia turned to see Harry standing before her, barefoot in blue shorts and a rumpled white shirt that shone in the dark against his carmel skin.

His quiet voice was hypnotic. “Princess Leia Organa. Gods, this is the best dream ever.” 

Leia didn’t have time to protest as his long arms pulled her close and his tall frame enveloped her. He smelled like lavender and irises. “Your hair isn’t the same as in the pictures but I like it.” His hands threaded into her hair and he smiled at her through heavily lidded eyes.

“Gods, you’re so fucking beautiful.” Suddenly his lips were on her neck. His lips traveled along her jawline, rapidly kissing her cheeks, her eyelids, the bridge of her nose.

The warmth of his rapid kisses shot through her body, until every cell was awake and buzzing with energy.

She gripped his shirt, overwhelmed. “Harry.” She breathed.

“Whoa, you know my name. This dream is getting better by the second.”

She drew away from him. “Harry, you’re not dreaming.”

He swallowed, looking down at her. He blinked hard. “What?”

Leia’s lips curved into an imperious smirk. “I am _not_ a dream.”

“You’re - you’re dead.”

“You make an excellent point.” She cupped his cheek. “Now you should run along back to bed and dream of tall, _vital_ women.”

“Not in a million years. The last time I had a dream this vivid, I saw ducks with tumors. Now I’m dreaming of _you._ I’m gonna play this one out.”

He moved closer, his arms curled around her waist. He kissed her ears, making her nerves tingle with pleasure. 

Leia laughed. “I’m a Force Spirit, Harry.”

"A Force Spirit?” His hands touched her arm, hesitantly. “You feel alive. And - and you look perfect. You know what? I don’t care how this is happening.”

His eyes scanned hers repeatedly before his tall frame bent down again. This time, he carefully brushed his lips against hers, his eyes never leaving her face. His kiss was light as air. Harry's eyes closed, his blood thundering in his ears, and he leaned into her again. Leia reached up and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Somehow, he even tasted like lavender. 

She laughed. “Harry, that was the best kiss of my entire life. And I’ve been kissed a lot.”

He touched his lips, still feeling the electric current of her touch. “Same here.”

She tucked her hair behind her ears and looked up at him. "What are you doing right now?" 

He gulped. "Nothing."


	17. Give Myself

Location: Ajan Kloss 

Harry’s heart beat wildly as Leia kissed her way down his stomach. After a lifetime of blocking his own force, being so close to a Force user was overpowering. He couldn’t think straight - he couldn’t even think as he gasped for breath.

She tugged his shorts off slowly, pausing to look at him through her dark lashes. A slight smile played across her lips as she gripped his manhood between her nimble hands. She licked the head like a lollipop before wrapping her lips around it. When she glanced up at him, his brain short circuited. His cock twitched at the sight of her between his legs, it was the fantasy he had imagined for so long, the fantasy he had used to jerk off with so many times. His whole body spasmed and he instantly came in her mouth.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. That never happens to me.”

She swallowed the last of him and fixed him with a sultry stare. “I like the way you feel  _ and _ the way you taste.” She kissed him deeply, letting him taste himself. Dry and slightly sweet. He moaned at the sensuousness of the gesture. 

He was determined to redeem himself and pulled her dress over her head. She was wearing black underwear and a borrowed bra that was far too small for her. “Ooh, let’s get you out of this thing. He tugged at it. “Gods, I want to rip this off.”

“Here.” she unhooked the front clasp and the bra hung loosely from her shoulders. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of her beautiful, full breasts. 

“All my sexual fantasies didn’t do you justice. You’re so fucking amazing.” Harry slipped her tiny bra off and kissed each breast , feeling her nipples harden under his tongue. His hands cupped her breasts, rolling her nipples harshly as his mouth traveled down her body.

“You don’t have to.” She hedged.

“Oh my gods, I want to. I can’t tell how many times I’ve imagined this.” He was proud of his oral sex skills. His tongue traced into her folds at a leisurely pace before flicking against her clit. He took his time teasing her, denying her clit any attention until she whined in frustration. He used his wide thumbs to pressure her puffy clit before his tongue returned to mash against it in long flat strokes. It was a routine he knew well and his mind hummed with happiness when Leia began to moan with his efforts. Even as her orgasm built, he continued to tease her clit, pulling at the skin around it to expose it further. He lapped at it until her hands flew into his hair as her body convulsed with pleasure.

“Harry that was - wow.” She was at a loss for words.

He grinned. “Taste yourself.” He whispered as he kissed her. The look she gave him set off a cascade of shivers throughout his body. The woman who had starred in his fantasies for years actually wanted him to fuck her.

She positioned his long cock at her entrance. His eyelashes fluttered and his breath caught in his throat as he slowly pushed the head of his cock into her. His arms ran along her sides, gliding over her hips before reaching for her breasts. 

In the space of a heartbeat, Harry felt gravity shift beneath him. It had been a long time since the act of sex had felt connected to emotion but suddenly he was shaking like a leaf. He could tell, his life was about to change. This wasn’t like any other sexual encounter he’d ever had. 

Leia’s Force was sharp, cooling and strong. Death had not diminished her strength in any way. Harry stared into her deep brown eyes and felt himself melt. The defensiveness, the hopelessness, the cool exterior disappeared.

It wasn’t a performance, he wasn’t going to play a role. Like taking off an old shirt, Harry shed the theatrical side of sex, foregoing his usual mind games of making his partner beg and plead for his cock, his dominant dirty talk edged with purposely cruel undertones. Time seemed to slow down as he held her face gently, kissing her deeply as he filled her, sliding into her slowly.

“I won’t hurt you.”

“You can’t hurt me.” She whispered, her voice defiant.

“I won’t hurt you.” He whispered softly, bringing his eyes to meet hers. Suddenly the dynamics shifted and they weren’t talking about sex. “I won’t hurt you,'' he whispered again and again as he began to thrust into her. Her strong legs wrapped around his back and her hands danced over his muscular shoulders. His fingers squeezed her nipples hard, the slight pain and pleasure pushed her to orgasm, her body shook until her vision blurred with stars. 

“I give myself to you.” He spoke softly but confidently.

She stared into his eyes, feeling time pause. Everything skipped a beat. 

“I give myself to you.” He repeated.

“I give myself to you.” She whispered back.  _ Did she really just say that? Where did that come from? _

He yanked her body even closer, thrusting harder even as their kiss deepened. How could his hands be in so many places at once? “I give myself to you.” He whispered again as his whole body shook as he emptied himself into her. 

⇆

Location: The Netherworld of the Force

Leia materialized in her quiet home. Sniffing at the quiet stillness, she charged over to Obi-Wan’s home. Finding Swans’ room empty, she quietly entered Starlings’ bedroom. 

“Holy shit! I think I just had the best sex of my life.” Leia tore back the covers from the bed where Sola had fallen asleep next to Starlings.

“Oh my gods, go away.” Sola batted a pillow at her.

“I can’t believe I feel like this.” Leia marveled as she sank into the heavenly, soft bed. Sola threw an arm around her, drowsily. “Cuddle with me or make coffee.”

“Who did you have sex with?” Starlings rolled over with wide eyes. “Will you tell me about him? Or her?” She bit her lip with a shy smile. No one ever told her anything. 

Leia grinned happily relaying the chance encounter with Harry.

Starlings mussed Sola’s hair. “Why aren’t with Poe?” 

“Poe?” Sola croaked out, her voice still groggy. A second later, she shot up in bed and pulled on the closest pair of shoes. “Oh gods, Poe! He has a meeting with that piece of shit Governor from Geonosis. Fucking useless insect. I’ll pull his wings off if he threatens my husband.” She disappeared a moment later.

“Did she say husband?”

“I believe she did. How very interesting.” 


	18. Bloom

Yoda watched his Padawan closely as she climbed a small tree. Shadda Kenobi vaulted herself from the trunk to a low hanging branch. “Look, Master! I’m an icicle!” She swung back and forth until her small hands gave out, dropping a foot to the ground. She spun in a circle, threw her shoes at the tree trunk and started all over again.

Understanding Shadda Kenobi was like trying to read the clouds in the sky.

  
  


31 years ago, Yoda had gathered with Qui-Gon and other members of the Jedi Council of the Netherworld of the Force to discuss Obi-Wan’s plan to sacrifice himself to Darth Vader. Many members of the council felt the act was pointless but they often felt that way. Yoda’s age gave him the perspective to see from a great distance. A long time coming, this sacrifice was. It was a debt Obi-Wan did not owe the galaxy as a Jedi. It was a debt he needed to pay Anakin to reclaim his soul.

Yoda knew his own judgement had been clouded by the Dark Side. He had ordered Obi-Wan to kill his own Padawan. It was a horrible thing to ask of anyone, especially a person like Obi-Wan. Yoda had not been able to kill Count Dooku. He, himself, had faltered when facing his former apprentice. 

It had taken time for Yoda to understand how much it had damaged Obi-Wan when he struck Anakin down. Luckily, Qui-Gon had been able to see the situation more clearly. He had read the quiet wishes of his dear friend’s heart and immediately begun training Padme Amidala to commune with Obi-Wan as a Force Spirit. Yoda was never sure why he did not train Satine but he had faith in Qui-Gon’s judgement in matters of the heart. 

Yoda had known the pathways of the Netherworld of the Force before his own heart had stopped beating. Like Obi-Wan in exile, Yoda had many visitors.

Padme’s Force Spirit had asked permission to visit with Yoda on Degobah a month before Obi-Wan’s death. It was intended as a social visit but as he gathered flowers for his table, he had a vision that stopped him in his tracks. Ahead of him on the well worn path, stood a small blond girl. She was slight, small boned like Padme with Obi-Wan’s blue green eyes. She raised her hand to wave to him and Yoda fell to his knees. Now, many years later, he knew he had seen Jinn Kenobi that quiet evening on Dagobah. Yoda had not spoken to this vision, he hadn’t needed to. It was obvious that she was a person worth knowing, a person he wanted to meet. He understood that this small, blond child needed to be born. 

Yoda very much wanted to mend the fractures he had caused in the galaxy. Suddenly, an opportunity had presented itself.

He had turned on his heel and walked from his small hutt to a cave where stored items from the Temple. Yoda arrived 5 minutes late for his scheduled tea with Padme, bearing a gift for her. It was a small Nightsisters' talisman that he had found among stolen Sith relics. The stone was endowed with special powers to promote fertility. He had not explained the significance of the talisman but asked Padme to keep it near their bedside, telling her it would ease Obi-Wan’s mind as he transitioned from the outerworld to the Netherworld of the Force. 

9 months later, almost to the day, Jinn Kenobi was born. 

Yoda had visions of each of Obi-Wan’s children before their births. Powerful, strategic and helpful Sola. Swans who held vast power and great reverence for her work as a Jedi. Fiercely intelligent Starlings who would grow up to archive history with a critical eye. Yoda was banking on Starlings to make sense of Anakin Skywalker. It was high time someone did.

There were almost 20 years between the twins, Starlings and Swans’, birth and Shadda’s. Yoda had thought the Kenobi family was complete until he had a vision of Shadda on a quiet summer night. He had been meditating alone in the forest. He had been distracted by the presence of ants and allowed him to get lost in contemplation of his past failures. 

Out of nowhere, she called out to him in her bright, loud Shadda voice. “Master Yoda, look up!” She had been in a tree above him, tearing flowers apart. Pink petals rained down on him, covering the ground. When he looked up again, she was gone but flower petals continued to drift down from the sky. He had been moved beyond words. 

Shadda had been beloved to him from the moment she was born. Her force was so similar to Obi-Wan’s. Yoda could see in her, the opportunity to right his many wrongs, to try a final time to train a Padawan. She would be his own path to mending the fractured galaxy. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would have never guessed I would want to write anything from Yoda's POV but here we are. What's next? Luke?


	19. Jenza and the Great Count Dooku

Location: Serrano

**  
Their End**

(54 Years Ago)

Jenza had been gone a calendar year before Dooku figured out how she had escaped his careful watch. He knew that it must have pleased her, reaffirmed her low opinion of his elitist character to have disappeared into Serenno’s population of faceless migrant workers. 

Jenza had always chided Dooku for his lack of interest in the conditions of the working poor of his world. In the end, she used it against him. While he was checking personal shuttle services, private ships for hire and concierge services, she had cut off her long auburn hair and walked straight into the fields of Serrano, undetected. She joined the nameless, faceless tide of women who traveled all of Serenno, harvesting crops. For the first two months of her pregnancy, she toiled in the heat of summer as search parties buzzed through the countryside. She slept in a tent with eight other women, eating porridge and drinking murky waters. 

When Serano’s harvesting season ended and the crops were picked, the migrant workers moved onto Utapau. Jenza used her meager salary to buy passage to Coruscant, in cash. She sold all her jewelry, the royal jewels of the House of Serano, at a 2nd rate pawn shop. The footage of her walking proudly out of the pawn shop, sunburnt and weary, was the Dooku’s last sighting of her. 

**Their Beginning**

(47 Years Ago)

Dooku and Jenza stood on the balcony of the West wing of Castle of Sereno. The sunset was lovely, deep purple streaked with orange. In the distance, the hills of Kaon loomed large. The hills curved against the sunset like the shadow of a lurking beast. 

As the sun set, he drank tea and she drank inkberry wine.

“We should leave this place.” Jenza’s voice was even and measured.

“Why would we ever leave Serrano? It’s our home.” 

“We could be together.” Jenza could feel her heart thudding in her chest. She moved her hand next to his. Her fingers brushed up against his. He didn’t dare breathe. 

“Dooku, I’ve spent too much of my life without you”. She forced herself to stare straight ahead, scared to see his reaction. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting but it wasn’t silence.

“It’s always been you. I've never wanted anyone else.” 

He turned to stare at her in the fading light. His deep brown eyes searched her face. “Jenza, I don’t understand.”

Of course he didn’t understand. They had spent a lifetime apart but he _was_ still her half brother. She was his closest friend, his confidant, the only member of the House of Serenno who acknowledge him. He had spent his entire life as a celibate, a disciplined Jedi living apart from society in the temple on Coruscant. She grown up as a hard working but totally pampered Countess surrounded by luxury. She had taken lovers over the years but she knew he never known physical intimacy.

Of course her touch confused him, repulsed him. Jenza felt dizzy - this was all a terrible mistake. She felt herself shrinking away. Then his hand covered hers. His simple gesture whispered directly to her heart. She finally allowed herself to draw the breath she had been holding back. 

“I have always loved you. These months together have been the happiest of my life.” He didn’t smile but his eyes flickered with emotion. 

She kissed his shoulder, through his smooth linen shirt. He smelled like soap and ashes. “Whatever will Serrano do without us?”

“I couldn't care less.” 

**Their Rift**

Jenza and Dooku had planned to leave Serenno together. They planned to fake their deaths and disappear. Far from Serenno, far from everyone who had ever known them as half-siblings. They would start a new life together in the luxurious Northern Province on the planet Zeltros. 

Using their vast resources, Dooku had commissioned clones from the secretive Kamino facility, they purchased fake passports, hired assassins, stockpiled untraceable gold bars and set up a series of bank accounts across the galaxy: it had taken years of careful planning.

He had reassured her that the clones Kamino created didn’t have souls, but she knew better. She wasn’t sure why she’d ever played along in the first place. She could sense his lie immediately. Just like she could sense Dooku’s soul slowly rotting away as the roots of the Dark Side took hold. 

_Her clone._ It still made Jenza sick to think about. The woman looked the same age but with the accelerated aging process, who knows how long her poor clone had been alive? She had not fully considered that a clone had been brought to life as an infant and taught to carry her name. Bred and taught to read and write. A child who had taken it's first steps and spoken her first words in a cloning facility. A clone with her eyes, who wore her hair in the same style as Jenza, who had been coached to speak with a stately Serenno accent. 

A life crafted for the sole purpose of being killed in Jenza’s place.

Jenza had watched her clone arrive on Serenno, taken in the woman’s pure delight and joy. Her clone spun in front of the hallway mirror in the Serrano castle. The clone ran room to room, inspecting her new home with unmitigated happiness.

Her clone's pale pink dress shimmered in the morning light. “I’m finally home. After all these years. They finally let me come home!” Jenza’s heart broke knowing the poor woman would be dead in less than a day.” At that exact moment, Jenza started planning her escape from Dooku. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep. I'm gross.
> 
> Is this really confusing?


	20. Seeing in a New Light

Location: Ajan Kloss  
⇆

Ben had never been in love before. There were moments he felt like he was drowning in his love for Rey. Lust consumed him, gratitude for her love simply overwhelmed him. He’d ever even thought about having a girlfriend or wife. He had been trained to view sexual urges as a weakness, a symptom of a lazy mind - until he had held her in his arms. When he carried her out of the forest of Takodana, her gentle soul had melted a small hole in his icy defenses. Within an hour of meeting her, he was so in love that he would have died for her a hundred times over. 

Every day, his feelings had grown. She was his entire world. The best part of his soul. His redemption and his reason for living. He was content.

When he had tried to describe his feelings to Rey, he had compared it to a sailor who had been adrift for years, finally standing on solid land. Stability stretched and expanded around him. His connection to the Force had been unstable and shaken but now it was finally taking root. He had trained himself to appear calm and guarded but it was a lie. The rage he had been taught to embrace had made him powerful but now he could see the massive flaws of this method. 

Rey’s love for him was a miracle. She had reached him when he had given up on himself and the galaxy. Intense loneliness had hollowed him, weakened him for so long that he didn’t even realize how tenuous his powers were. 

Everything was different now. He was safe. Her love had made him feel safe in a way he couldn’t quite explain. The Force flowed through him now, he no longer had to grasp and pull it toward him. He could sense the space between himself and Rey as easily as he could feel his own fingertips. 

Qui Gon and Obi-Wan had told him that his powers were growing. He couldn’t quite make sense of it but he could feel the expansion within him. It was a bit like learning to walk on new legs, like fighting with a new set of weapons.

⇆

He watched Rey reading in the courtyard. She sat across from Harry and Wipolo. The brothers always sat so freakishly close to each other. Harry flipped back and forth between textbooks, angrily and sputtering curses. 

Wipolo stopped reading and handed Harry a chocolate protein bar. “You’re getting fussy.”

Harry accepted the chocolate reluctantly, then proceeded to eat it in two bites. Wipolo patted his brother's head like a puppy. 

Rey giggled and looked up at Ben. Her expression was so open and unguarded. Ben loved her so completely, so fully that he almost felt like he had been born for no other reason than to love her. 

**Be with me.** She whispered through their Force connection. Rey set down her book and started walking toward him.

Ben moved to the doorway, his large arms surrounding her. **My gods, I will never get used to the way you smile at me.** She could feel the emotion in his voice. Their combination of their touch and the ever expanding force bond was so powerful, so intimate and immersive, it shook Ben to his core. 

“Are you alright?” Rey whispered. “You look like you’ve been hit.”

“I love you so much, I don’t know what to do.” Ben trembled with fear. He looked at her with panicked breaths.

“I know exactly what to do.” Rey guided him toward their bed, pulling him down beside her. She hovered one hand over his racing heart. Her other hand grasped his and guided it between her legs. Ben stared at her entranced as her expression shifted, her breath hitching with arousal. He was lost in the wonder of the moment, it never failed to amaze him that he was allowed to touch her. He gingerly parted his fingers to stroke both side of her folds and then bringing them together as he reached her clit. She was so wet, it made him ache. He stripped her clothes off in a fury: complicated layers that separated him from her. The sound of her slight moan was paired with thunder in the distance. 

In the courtyard, he could hear Harry and Wipolo scramble to gather their books before the rain started to fall. 

“Can you see my surroundings?” Rey repeated the question he’d asked the first time their Forces bonded.  
  
Ben could hardly breathe, he fought to choke out the words. “I can’t see yours… just you.”

Ben allowed himself to be taken over by their connection. The tunnel of their Force Connection, the echoes and ripples of their separate and shared feelings, the lust and excitement, the desire and burning chemistry. The love. 

Rain fell in sheets as he positioned himself above her. Her small hands encircled his cock and guided it into her. He tried mightily to slowly ease himself into her. Slow. Slower. Her breasts swayed as he pushed into her. Ben fought against the urge to pound into her wildly. He tried to keep each thrust measured, slowly becoming deeper each time. Rey moaned and reached up, grabbing the hair at the back of his neck, pulling his face to hers. Her kiss was open, her lips parting his, her tongue reaching out to his. He lost control of himself and began to pull out and slam into her. Her eyes locked onto him and he could feel her need to cum. He began to stroke her clit, bite at her nipples until she gasped. Her body began to twist and arch with her orgasm. Her senses thundered through their Force Bond and he felt momentarily blind. The rain, her breath, the pain and pleasure, her beautiful eyes, her shuddering breasts, the beat of her heart. He could sense her satisfaction as his measured control faltered. She loved seeing him like this: out of control, his eyes wild, hair soaked in sweat, his long cock pounding into her wildly, overwhelmed by lust. 

As he came, a glowing aura took over his body. A flash of light blinded his eyes as he emptied himself into her. 

Ben blinked back his confusion. As his body mind connection returned, he realized Rey was staring at him with a strange expression.

“What was that light?” She whispered.

“Oh gods, you saw it too?” Ben was astonished. “Did I do that?” 

⇆

Moments later, Ben stumbled out of their quarters to the fresher. He was startled to see Wipolo standing in the quiet, drizzling rain, his hands on his hips.

“What the hell was that?” 

“Were we too loud?”

“Ben, I’m talking about the light.”

“You saw that too?”

“Force Light. That’s pretty extreme. You need to get some help, like right away. You could really fuck someone up with that.”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone -”

“I don’t mean us.” Wipolo interrupted. “It isn’t going to mess up a Light Side user. But you could Force Sever a Dark Side user with that.”

  
  



	21. Passing Storm

Location: Ajan Kloss

→ →

“Force Light?”

“I swear, I saw it.”

Rey and Ben sat with Swans, Sola and Obi-Wan. They were sprawled out on the new outdoor couches in the courtyard of the base. The anonymous donor who who had paid for the Planetary Deflector Shields had sent them with an oddly specific note, recommending the picnic benches be disposed of due to the threat of splinters.

Swans held Sola’s hand tightly, trying to keep her from biting her nails. Her eyes drifted to the plain band on Sola’s ring finger. She covered her sister’s hand with her own, hoping her Father wouldn’t notice. She felt he didn’t need the added stress.

Obi-Wan turned to Ben and forced himself to ask the logical question even though he already knew and definitely did not want to hear the answer. “And how did this Force Lightning happen?”

Ben’s eyes cast downward as though he was expecting reprimand. “We were in bed.”

Sola giggled and punched Ben playfully. 

Swans tickled his chin. “Teleportation, Force Lightning, now Force Light? At least this is a Light Side power, right?”

Obi-Wan nodded. “Don’t forget cloaking. I’m quite jealous of that one.”

Sola jumped to her feet. “Can we please get started sparring? Poe has a meeting with Lando in two hours and if I’m not there, Poe’s gonna start asking where to buy a cape. I’m gonna lose it.” She ruffled Ben’s hair. “No offense, big guy.”

“I felt like my flowing cape went well with my helmet. And, you know, mental illness” Ben deadpanned.

“You did have the height for capes. Imagine how horrible a cape would look on Poe.”

“I don’t know. Lando can pull it off.” Swans noted.

“Lando _is_ quite charismatic.” Rey agreed.

“That’s another word for _old man sexy,_ right?” Sola asked, fluttering her lashes.

Obi-Wan had always disliked hearing his daughters discuss men.

“Look, look, look! Dad is making that I’m _trapped in hell face.”_ Sola laughed. 

“C’mon, let’s get on with it. My husband is gonna be wearing a purple blouse if I don’t hurry.”

Obi-Wan hurled around. “Sola dear, did you say husband?”

“No. I absolutely did not say husband. Well, I might have said it but I certainly didn’t mean it.” She kissed his forehead. “At least not from a legal statement.”

“Sola?”

“I am absolutely not legally married.” Sola smiled sweetly. 

“What other kind married is there?” Obi-Wan couldn’t disguise his alarm.

“Like you and Mom.” Swans whispered “Joined for life.”

“Except they’re dead.” Sola pointed out.

“Sola, no one likes being corrected.” 

Sola frowned and switched tactics. “Mom said you’ve come up with a name for _my_ baby brother.”

“Oh yes. Beara Anakin Kenobi.”

Swans frowned. “I like the _Kenobi_ part.”

“Anakin?! Why not just name him Child Killer Kenobi?!” Sola hissed.

“Anakin was not Vader.”

“It was the same hands that struck down all those Jedi.” Swans’ voice was solemn.

“Anakin only had one real hand and Dad cut it off.” Sola corrected. 

“He killed those younglings before Dad cut off his hands.” Swans argued.

“Hand. Dooku cut his whole arm.”

“My gods Sola, stop correcting me!” 

“Maybe you wanna make me?” Sola tossed her a staff.

→ →  
  


Obi-Wan had always hated watching his daughters duel. Even when they were younglings, it had been a struggle not to intervene. He reminded himself to remain in the moment. Worrying, flinching, projecting, hoping - it was all pointless. He could not fight his daughter’s battles for them. No matter how much he wanted to.

Rey moved to sit beside Obi-Wan while Sola and Swans squabbled over staffs. 

“Were you scared, becoming a parent?” 

“Oh yes. Very much so.” His voice was low and soft. “Even though we were in The Netherworld, I was worried about Padme, worried Jinn wouldn’t be born alive, worried the whole thing was some sort hallucination or an elaborate test of our faith.” His face broke into a radiant smile. “But then Jinn was born and she was perfect. And healthy and strong. When we realized she was mortal, that she would be able to go into the Outer World - it seemed like such an incredible miracle.”

“Fatherhood was not incompatible with your Jedi training?”

Obi-Wan studied Rey for a moment, realizing she did not know the whole story.

“It was all _completely_ incompatible with my training.” He smiled, thinking of his wife. “I had been madly in love with Padme for years. But it wasn’t until my world totally fell apart that I allowed myself to acknowledge my feelings or even allow myself to have feelings.” 

“I can relate to that.” Rey said softly. “How did it happen?”

“Qui Gon guided us toward each other.”

Swans’ eyes flashed at the mention of the name of her beloved.

“He saw what I could not. He worked endlessly to teach Padme how to reach me as a Force Spirit. Somehow he knew her soul needed to be mended as much as my own. Qui Gon has always been able to see through the confusion of egos and the baggage of history. In much the same way, Qui Gon was the one who figured out what was going on with _that_ one.” He nodded at Wipolo walking past them with laundry. 

Rey followed his gaze. “Do you think he and Jinn will be ok?”

“Yes.”

He noted Wipolo’s pace slow to a crawl as he passed by. “I believe Jinn will soon realize you can know someone without names. And he -“ Obi-Wan paused, making sure Wipolo was listening. “- and he needs to go to Jinn and remind her how much he cares. _Hopefully_ he will soon realize that Jinn’s love is unconditional and her anger is just a passing storm.”

“How long have you been with Padme?”

“48 years but I’m going for eternity.” Obi-Wan smiled happily at the thought. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit rough as started as a paragraph before the sparring chapter. It keep getting bigger so I set it on its own.
> 
> Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. I’m happiest writing characters just sitting around chatting.


	22. Spar

Location: Ajan Kloss

_Force Light?_

Obi-Wan studied Ben Solo like a puzzle. He was too old to be a Padawan but he’d never met _anyone_ in more need of training. He’d pleaded with Luke to help his nephew but that hadn’t gone well. Qui Gon was consumed by all things Dooku and Yoda was already training Shadda. So it was up to him to figure Padme’s deeply disturbed, freakishly powerful grandson. Unless he could convince Anakin to help.

Obi-Wan tried to keep his expression neutral as Ben and Sola sparred. 

Obi-Wan patted Rey on the arm. “I never thought I’d say these words but this isn’t a fair fight for Sola.” Before he’d gotten the words out, Ben started to deliver harsh, wide sweeping blows, backing Sola into a tree trunk. 

“Hold your ground!” Obi-Wan instructed. 

“I can’t. It’s like fighting a Rancor! Agh!” Sola tried to jump out of the way as Ben swung at her knees, knocking her down. 

“Sorry.” Ben smiled, lending her a hand up.

“That was a straight up crazy move. I could have decapitated you.”

“You’re not fast enough.” Ben’s eyes were enormous, waiting to see Sola’s reaction. Much to Ben’s relief, Sola flashed an enormous grin, clapped happily and hugged Ben. 

“You’re nuts. I’ve never seen anybody do that! Quit your squirming and let me hug you! I’m so proud of you! I had no idea you were so reckless.” She smooched his cheeks loudly, hugging him tightly. Obi-Wan had been astonished how affectionate his daughters were with Ben. It was as though they could sense how emotionally damaged he was and were determined to heal him. 

Obi-Wan sensed an opportunity arise as Wipolo watched them across the courtyard. His brother - clearly, it had to be his brother - stood beside him. They watched the sparring like a pair of panthers. Tracking with their eyes, their entire bodies seemed to angle toward the combatants like natural predators.

They looked nothing like Dooku, or did they? Bronze skinned with dark thoughtful eyes, and quiet voices - they looked nothing like the immaculate, manicured Count of Serenno. Obi-Wan couldn’t help studying the pair for similarities. They were extremely tall and had an aristocratic air to them. Was he projecting or did they look down their perfectly straight noses at him?

A sharp cry turned his attention back to Rey as she started sparring with Swans.

“I can’t believe you did that!” Rey held a broken staff. “That was a perfectly good staff.”

Swans shrugged. “Your _perfectly good_ neck is going to be severed from your _perfectly good_ body if you keep with those broad, heavy strokes.”

“Swans!” Ben yelled. “Try not to be so scary!”

“Oh, am I just supposed to stand around being supportive? She fights like you, idiot.”

“Sola just said she was proud of me.” Ben complained. 

“She was wrong. You’re horrible and this is all your fault. Rey can’t strike like that indefinitely.”

“Master Luke taught me to strike like that.” Rey argued.

“Oh, now that’s a bunch of bullshit. He doesn’t fight like that.”

Rey set her broken staff down. “Swans, are you trying to help me so I can teach kids at the temple or is there something else going on here?”

“I’m trying to teach you to defend yourself. You’re _pregnant_ and you obviously have no idea how to protect yourself.” She turned to Ben. “I’m sorry, I’m worried Dooku is going to carve her up into little pieces.”

“He doesn’t want to kill me! He wants me alive so he can _mate_ with me whenever the mood strikes him. Isn’t that the prevailing theory? I’m a potential _vessel_?” Rey burst into tears and dropped her broken staff. 

Ben wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead repeatedly. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Obi-Wan sighed heavily. His eyes fell on Wipolo. “Can you please come over here?”

Wipolo looked behind him. “Me?”

Ben limped over to Wipolo. He put his hands on his hips. “Quit fucking around. We need your help.”

He held his staff out to Wipolo. 

“No, thank you.”

Harry nudged Wipolo forward. “You might as well. They already know who we are.”

“If I have to do it, you have to, too.”

“But I _just_ took a shower.”

Wipolo sighed unhappily as he as Harry approached the group. “You’re both going to get your heads cut off.” He pointed at Swans. “You’re trying to teach them to use Juyo against a Makashi master.”

“So?”

“Juyo is awesome if you’re trying to overpower some guy with a blaster or one of the Knights of Ren. But it's the most chaotic of the lightsaber forms. This form sacrifices a peaceful spirit to bolster offense.”

“Again, so fucking what?”

“Swans! Language?!” Obi-Wan scolded.

“Sorry, Dad.”

“You’re using energy and passion to overwhelm _him._ And he is going to use very little energy and total precision against you. How does that work out?” 

Wipolo set down the staff. “Let’s stop playing with sticks.” He pulled a lightsaber out of his pocket and placed one hand behind his back. 

“Whoa.” Ben oggled at the white lightsaber and then locked eyes with Wipolo. “Where the hell did you get that?”

“I made it. Just like everyone else.” 

Wipolo pointed at Sola. “Let’s go.”

Sola ignited her purple lightsaber and sucked in her breath as Wipolo’s grey lightsaber flicked on. 

Ben turned to Obi-Wan. “Grey? Do you think that means anything?”

Obi-Wan turned to him, astonished. “ I certainly hope not.”

Wipolo effortlessly took over. His quiet voice commanded attention. “Look at my position compared to yours. You look like you’re about to murder me and I look relaxed. You’re using two hands, I’m using one. Who has a free hand to use force push or use force lightning?”

“Um, Force Lightning?” Sola frowned. “We don’t really know how to do that. Since we’re the only ones here who aren’t like, devil spawn.”

“Sola! Don’t be mean.” Ben cautioned with a crooked smile.

Wipolo lightly engaged Sola, who began bashing away at him. He answered her strikes precisely. As Sola hurled at him with both arms. 

Relying on precision and efficiency over Sola's wild, sweeping motions, Wipolo lost no ground and used one hand to lightly force blast her down. 

She hopped back up. “OK dork, that was pretty good.”

“Makashi is elegant and focused. It’s all about balance and footwork to outmaneuver opponents. It’s close to what you do.” He pointed his lightsaber at Ben. “Your turn. Fluidity, precision, intention. Djem So versus Makashi is a pretty fair match. But I’m relying on economy of motion, rather than strength. I don’t have to be at optimum strength to maintain myself.”

He struck at Ben. “The problem here is that I can’t say I’ve ever seen you actually try.” He caught Ben’s eye. “I was watching you earlier: you weren’t even trying today. You were clearly trying not to hurt Sola or get hurt.”

Sola gaped. “You _were_ trying. Weren’t you?”

Ben engaged Wipolo’s staff. “I’m still injured so I’m not really -“

“Don’t worry.” Wipolo reassured him. “You’re not going to hurt me. You know how to fight, let’s see what you can do.”

“See, one arm allows greater range of motion. It allows you to use your legs more freely.” Wipolo easily kicked out at Ben’s shin, knocking him down. Ben continued to block on his back. 

“Get up.”

“Fuck you! I can’t _believe_ you kicked me.”

“Get up, you’re not trying.” He locked eyes with Ben. “You aren’t going to hurt me.”

Ben started to fully engage, swinging with strength and fluidity. 

“I get what you’re doing, starting back and going higher like that for momentum. I like that you answer back at waist level. You’re really making the most of your own energy. But honestly, if you do that against someone who is totally upright, they’re going to force blast your arm down and kick you in the head. Get your other arm into the game.” Wipolo hand lit up, crackling with blue lightning. 

“Holy fuck.” Sola whistled. 

“Do you think you can block me? It’s OK to say no.”

Ben’s hand crackled with lightning but he stopped and shook his head. 

“I can’t - I’m not sure of it. I’ve only done it when I’m angry.” He stepped back. 

“I’ll take a crack at it.” Obi-Wan stepped up. 

Wipolo gulped loudly and bowed to him. “You’re quite skilled in Soresu, Master Kenobi.”

“Please call me Obi-Wan. And not to worry, I’ve been studying my Makashi.” He placed one hand behind his back gracefully and extended his lightsaber. 

Sola beamed. “I wish Jinn was here to watch this!” Wipolo eyes flashed, hearing Jinn’s name.

They parried swiftly. Wipolo slowly advanced lightning at him. 

“Dear gods, how are you doing that so slowly?”

“It’s always most efficient to be fast but it can be controlled.”

“I must admit, that’s quite impressive.” Obi-Wan blocked the lightning sharply, knocking Wipolo off balance. 

Wipolo motioned for them to stop. 

“Harry?”

“Gods, no. I hate fighting you, Wipolo.”

“C’mon?”

“Oh alright, but you’ll have to do the dishes tonight. And I don’t want to get dirty so no kicking.” Harry pulled out a lightsaber. It had an identical gray blade but with a pearlescent, white handle. 

They both put a hand behind their back and began to duel. They moved so quickly it was hard to see. 

Obi-Wan’s face lit up with joy. “They’re magnificent .” He whispered to no one in particular. 

Wipolo continued his lecture. “Since Makashi eschews power for refinement and technique, you’re not going to get anywhere with strength.”

Rey turned to Obi-Wan, confused. “I’m lost.”

“He means that Ben’s technique is solid enough but the speed of his blows won’t be enough to throw Dooku off balance.”

Harry and Wipolo stopped sparring and stared at Obi-Wan. “Please don’t use his name near us. I’d like my brother to see his 29th birthday.”

“I sincerely apologize.”

“Why don’t we take a break from battling each other. I’d like to work with Ben for a bit on Force Lightning and the like. We must endeavor to harness his expanding powers without snuffing out the life force of everyone near him. Wipolo, would you be available if Ben gets overtaxed?”

“I’d be honored to help.” Wipolo bowed to Obi-Wan slightly, his eyes lowered deferentially.

Suddenly it became crystal clear to Obi-Wan just where Wipolo’s extensive training had come from.

As Ben grabbed a glass of water, Obi-Wan strode closer to Wipolo. “When we asked who trained you, you said it was no one I would know. You were mistaken, I do know her quite well.”

“If you knew her so well, why did you allow her to stand trial for the bombing of the Temple? You stood by while she was barred from the Jedi Order.”

“I will forever be sorry about that miscarriage of justice.”

“She spoke fondly of you. She would be pleased you were able to bring Anakin back into the light.”

“That was Anakin’s own doing and Luke’s.”

“Nevertheless, Your sacrifice was noble, Master Kenobi.”

“That’s most kind of you to say. What became of Ahsoka?”

Wipolo’s voice became soft. “She was there for my family when we were in most desperate need. She trained my brothers and myself.”

“That sounds exactly like something she’d do.” Obi-Wan said quietly.

”We are most fortunate to know her.”

”Yes, we are.”


	23. Presentation

Location: Serrano

Count Dooku sipped a cup of tea as the bounty hunter set up her presentation. The left side of his face was still slightly numb from the collagen injections he’d gotten earlier in the day. His tea dribbled out of one side of his mouth and down his chin. He forced himself not to react. He was wearing black, after all.

The bounty hunter’s neck was a bit muscular for his tastes but he admired her lean, toned arms and milky blue complexion. She was 47 but didn’t have a single line on her face. If he didn’t murder her today, he should find out what type of face products she used.

Dooku had always found Pantorans visually appealing even though their filthy yellow facial markings were a distraction. He tried to envision what she’d look like scrubbed up and dressed in decent clothes. She certainly smelled nice, a bit masculine but pleasant.

She spoke with total confidence but her hands trembled as she opened files on her datapad. Dooku didn’t trust a single living person but he did trust fear.

The bounty hunter started with information on Obi-Wan. She glossed over Kenobi’s endless accomplishments and focused on his disappearance after Order 66. Ignoring the popular theory that he had parished, the woman’s voice shook and she proposed that he had somehow escaped.

“There are thousands of Kenobis across the galaxy. It's an uncommon but not particularly rare name. Looking for connections to General Kenobis family on Stewjon wasn’t a fruitful search, he had 2 siblings but he was, to date, the only person in the family with force abilities. Instead I looked for individuals who bear his name with unique abilities or accomplishments.”

She advanced to her next picture. The bounty hunter pulled up a poorly lit identification badge bearing the image of an exquisite woman with reddish blond hair and sea green eyes. “This is Jinn Kenobi, a healer.”

Dooku inhaled sharply hearing the name. He knew that it was not a coincidence. It was the name he had wanted to give his own child. Dooku had loved Qui Gon dearly and had never forgiven himself for allowing his former apprentice’s premature death. He often fantasized about staking Maul to the ground and slicing open his abdomen, pulling out his intestines for wild dogs to eat.

“I consider Jinn Kenobi a strong connection as there is a physical resemblance and have been multiple sightings of Obi-Wan on Batuu. There is absolutely no record of Jinn existing before she entered the Black Spires Medical Crisis Center. Jinn has a reputation for healing the mortally wounded and, according to coworkers, she carries a weapon. I speculate it’s a lightsaber. She has never been seen using it but several weeks ago there were reports of a skirmish with the Knights of Ren in the forest outside the Black Spires Medical Crisis Center where she works. Another Kenobi woman was reportedly seen in the area at the same time.” 

“That brings us to Sola Kenobi. AKA The Decapitator.” An image of a petite, androgynous blond woman appeared on screen. “She worked as a security officer for Resistance Generals as a teenager. Her age is unknown but in the earliest recording of her, she appeared to be a teenager. She was involved in a particularly vicious attack on First Order scouts on Haruun Kal.”

Gears spun in the Count’s mind. Haruun Kal had been the home planet of Mace Windu and this girl just happened to carry a violet lightsaber. 

“According to reports, the First Order scouts were only investigating local fungi when they were savagely attacked by Sola. She decaitated two troopers and killed several others.”

“By herself?”

“Well no. There was another unidentified assailant.”

“Isn’t there always?” Dooku discreetly wiped a spot of drool from his mouth. 

“All together, they killed 7 and injured 19 others. I can show you the video but I’m afraid it’s been edited to-“

“To music?” Dooku interrupted. “Yes I have seen it.”

“Well there are several. She seems to have recently resurfaced on a video where she appears to throw the severed head of one the Knights of Ren at his fellow combatants.”

Dooku stroked his trim beard thoughtfully. That sounded a bit more violent than he would expect a child of Obi-Wan. 

“Two Kenobi women? Perhaps Obi-Wan’s daughters?”

“You don’t seem impressed.” The bounty hunter tried to appear calm. 

“On the contrary, I am quite pleased with your work.” 

Dooku nodded his head in appreciation. The various plastic surgeries had made his smile lopsided and looked a bit like a grimace.

“I don’t have any idea about who the mother of his children might be.” 

Dooku nodded again, pretending to take this news in stride. Unlike the 40 year old bounty hunter, he had a very clear recollection of Padme Amidala's beauty. Anyone who met her would have a hard time forgetting her face. Both the Decapitator and Jinn Kenobi bore an emotional uncanny resemblance to the lovely senator.

“I was not able to make any progress on the other individuals you tasked me with finding.” 

An image of Jenza flashed quickly across the screen. The screen went blank. 

“That is fine. You have done well.” Dooku eyed the bounty hunter warily. He would let this one live.

“I want more information about these Kenobi girls. Who they date, where they go.”

“Yes sir.”

“Please, call me Count.”

Dooku had resented Obi-Wan for decades. His hatred had gained momentum over the years as history books lauded the Jedi. Statues had been erected, schools named after him, murals lovingly depicted him as the hero of the Clone Wars. All of the past exaltation paled against his newfound jealously: Obi-Wan had a family. He had somehow managed to father children with the stunning, and reportedly dead, Padme Amidala. He had two force welding daughters who bore his name. 

That asshole had everything.


	24. Student

⇆

  
The morning sun was burning off the last traces of rain clouds when Yoda appeared outside the new Jedi Training Center. He stared at the building silently. It had been modeled after the Great Temple on Coruscant but on a small scale. It was not grand but it stirred his old soul. 

His heart ached thinking of his final moments inside the temple after the Jedi were massacred. Walking out through the bodies of his fallen comrades, his friends, his students. He remembered the smell of burnt hair, burnt flesh, lightsaber slashes on the walls, the look of absolute horror on Obi-Wan’s face. 

Yoda shook his head. He must choose between yielding to the pain of the past or forging ahead into uncharted territory. 

He walked into the open doors of the new temple. 

It was simple and elegant. Polished bamboo floors, white walls, large windows, open spaces with low couches and chairs. He allowed himself to smile. This would be where Shadda would train. He could imagine her here. His beloved apprentice would learn beside Force sensitive children from all over the galaxy. Closing his eyes, he could picture her running from room to room, chattering in her loud Shadda voice, questioning everything, laughing so hard her shoulders shook. 

When Yoda’s green eyes opened, he saw them. Two children stood near the window. The girl had wide, intelligent hazel eyes and wild dark hair. Yoda knew at once that he was looking at Rey and Ben Solo’s daughter. Her force was bright like Rey’s and shimmered like an open lake. Though she had her mother’s eyes, in every other way, she looked like a miniature Padme Amidala right down to the mole on her cheek. The boy child had red hair and an open expression. So this was Obi-Wan’s son. He looked the boy over from head to toe. The child held his gaze without fear. He took the girl’s arm protectively and tears welled in Yoda’s eyes. He knew Obi-Wan’s son would always stand beside Hana Rose Solo as she faced the galaxy.

In the blink of his eyes, the vision was over. He nodded and struck the floor of the temple with his old staff. The Jedi would rise again. And he would do everything in his power to help the new generation succeed. 

⇆

Wipolo froze mid-step when he saw Yoda striding toward him, making sure to lower his eyes as he bowed to the small, intimidating Master Jedi. 

Yoda shocked Wipolo by silently sitting down at his feet. No one had ever sat in front of him in a pose of supplication before. Yoda radiated calm energy as he looked up at Wipolo. 

“Today, your student I am.”

“You want me to teach you?” Wipolo couldn’t hide his shock.

“A different perspective, you have on the Force. Young eyes can see a greater variation of shades and values.”

“What do you want to know?”

Yoda studied his face silently, not blinking. The trees bent and swayed in the wind. Birds trilled in the distance. 

Wipolo gulped and tried to put his thoughts into order. It was time to be honest. No more half truths or turning away from who he was. Ahsoka had taught him about the Force, how to harness and refine his skills. She had wanted him to use his powers for the greater good. His Mother had taught him to protect himself, shield himself from the world and from his Grandfather’s influence. But she had also shared secrets of the Force with her children. Secrets passed down to her from a visionary, a madman who could sense what others could not. 

“There isn’t a real _word_ for it.” He began.

Yoda stared back at him patiently. 

“My Mother calls it Force Influence.”

“Knowledge, you will share?” 

Wipolo sat down across from the Jedi Master. Yoda nodded at the symbolism of a teacher sitting down at his student’s level. The more time he spent with this young man, the more he appreciated him. 

“This is how my Mother described it to me as a child: everyone casts a shadow of influence.” Wipolo held his finger out, turning it in the morning sunlight. “The shadow grows or wanes depending on alignment with the force, energy, age, emotional health.”

Yoda nodded.

“Some beings are different. Their shadows are larger.” Wipolo spread his fingers wide. 

“You, Rey, Luke, Leia, Anakin Skywalker, The Emperor, my Grandfather - it’s like you are carrying an umbrella. Your shadows are vast.” 

“Young Wipolo, is the shadow you cast large?” 

“No. I am not skilled with mine but Anakin and Leia were both extraordinary practitioners.”

Yoda considered this statement. “Obi-Wan knows Anakin well.. Spoken of this, he has not.”

“I doubt Annakin knew he was doing it. If one is not tuned into their Force Influence, it cannot be controlled nor stopped. Force Influence is subtle. It doesn't draw a curtain around those being affected. The practitioner shifts the palette of light and emotion. Like looking through a bit of colored glass.”

Yoda shook his head. “Sense it, I cannot.”

“You can.” Wipolo assured. “You haven’t been looking for it.”

Yoda bristled slightly. It had been quite some time since someone had challenged him. “Dooku has this power?”

Wipolo flinched at his Grandfather’s name. “Yes, he has an extraordinary Influence. If he was not born with it, I surmise he learned it from you Master Yoda.”

“Learned from me, what I did not know?” 

Wipolo nodded. “We teach others, even when we are not trying.”

Yoda nodded. It was an unexpected surprise to be taught so much from this unassuming, scruffy haired young man. He lapsed into silence, mulling over the new information. 

Wipolo turned to his own meditation. “Please excuse me. My grandfather was in a foul mood this morning, the voice in my head is quite angry.”

After a moment, his dark lashes fluttered and the tension in his face melted away. He didn’t look up but he could feel Yoda watching him. “You want to ask me about my Grandfather.”

“Why did he wait so long to return?” 

Wipolo tilted his head, surprised by the question. “He waited for Vader to die.”

“Long ago, that was.”

“And then he quietly waited for someone to do what he could not.” 

“For Rey to kill Darth Sideous?” 

Wipolo nodded. “It suited his purposes.”

Yoda’s voice was hedged with suspicion. “Knowledge of your Grandfather’s plans, you must have?”

“There is a member of my family who deeply connected to his memories.” 

Yoda turned to where Harry was micro welding, using a microscope and pristine gloves. “This brother? Harry?”

“No comment.”

Yoda nodded, understanding Wipolo’s attempt at misdirection. There must be another brother, perhaps one more connected to the Force than this one who was rumored to be sharing a bed with Leia Organa.

Wipolo shifted his eyes to the courtyard where Ben and Rey practiced forms. 

Yoda steadily followed his gaze. “Darth Sideous did not try to train Ben Solo, why was that?”  
  


“Palpatine had a low opinion of Ben. He completely misunderstood him and my Grandfather actively encouraged distrust of Ben. Ben Solo’s transformation into Kylo Ren served many purposes. It limited him as a Force User as he was lacking a foundation of trust and his turn to the Dark Side severely weakened both Luke and Leia. Leia frightened my Grandfather immensely. Over the years, he both supported and sabotaged the Rebellion forces. He wanted her to stay busy, stressed and distracted -”

Yoda held up his hand, stopping Wipolo. The information was too much to take in all at once. He sat back. He closed his eyes and meditated. 

Crickets chirped and the birds of Ajan Kloss chattered in the distant jungle. After a long pause. Yoda’s voice was soft and steady. “Held by many in the Outerworld, this power of Force Influence?”

“My Grandfather, Rey and Swans. Sola to some degree but she doesn’t make much use of it.”

“Swans Kenobi?”

“She might be the only living Force User, besides my Grandfather, who actively controls their Force Influence.”

Rey and Ben appeared behind Yoda. 

Worry creased Rey’s face. “What did you say about Swans? What is a Force Influence?”

⇆


	25. Influenced

⇆

Wipolo quietly explained Force Influence to Rey and Ben while Yoda meditated silently. 

Rey was stunned. “I’ve been on missions with soldiers who didn’t even ask where we were going - was that my Force influence?”

Ben pressed his lips together, absorbing Rey’s stress. “I’m guessing I don’t have much Force Influence? I don’t have a history of getting people to do what I want.”

Wipolo laughed. “You have some. You’ve been successful at making people leave you alone. That was until Rey came along, right?”

Rey’s spine stiffened, her mind racing. “Do you think I’m doing that to Ben?”

“What?” Wipolo sat up straighter. “Influencing him? 

“Oh no, I didn’t mean to imply that.”

“Snoke or Palpateine, whatever, told us they opened Ben’s connection to me. But what if I’m making Ben have feelings for me?”

Wipolo covered Rey’s hand with his own. “No. Ben is filled with remorse for his past. His world has shifted because of you, he turned away from the Dark Side, his heart is open to his mother, to his family. Everything that’s happened has been because of you…” Wipolo didn’t finish, realizing he was making Rey’s argument for her.

“I - I feel like I’m going to get sick.” Rey’s voice caught in her throat. “Master Yoda, can - can you get Obi-Wan please?”

Yoda disappeared quickly and returned with both Obi-Wan and Qui Gon Jinn. 

Without waiting to be asked, Qui Gon addressed Rey. “My dear, I don’t think you’ve compelled Ben Solo to do anything.”

“Great his powers have become, since your time together.” Yoda assured her.

“What if I’m influencing that too?” Rey argued.

“Teleportation, cloaking: These powers, you do not have.”

“Powers of the _dark side_ you mean?! Sith powers? He did some weird Force Light yesterday. Did anyone tell you that? It can’t be an accident that these new powers have all just suddenly happened when we’re together!”

Obi-Wan regarded Rey’s mounting panic with sympathy. “Yoda has spent time with Ben, he has looked into his mind. He would have sensed it if there was -”

Rey turned to Yoda. “How many years did you work beside Chancellor Palpatine without realizing he was a Sith?!”

Yoda scratched his chin but did not respond.

“I was attracted to Ben the moment I saw his face on Starkiller. Who’s to say I didn’t start influencing him then?”

“You didn’t.” Ben wrapped an arm around Rey’s shoulders. His voice was low and shook with emotion. “I fell in love with you first. In the forest of Takodana.”

“In love with me or my Force Influence?!” Rey yelled. “My Grandfather influenced people for years without their knowledge. This isn’t outside the Palpatine playbook!”

Yoda nodded. “We know not, if your suspicions are founded. Your influence we must assess. A powerful force blocker we shall employ in young Wipolo. Monitor Rey Palpatine we must. Meditate on this, the Jedi Council shall.” 

Rey felt sick hearing Yoda link her name with her grandfather. 

Without another word, Yoda disappeared from the courtyard. 

  
  



	26. Jinn

In the Netherworld of the Force, Ben hobbled along the worn path using a cane. He had stopped using the walker recently and was now regretting it. Dear gods, why did he have to be so kriffing stubborn? He spotted Obi-Wan and Padme’s home in the distance. His frustration bubbled over in an instant. _Why the fuck was it so hard to teleport? Fuck, fuck, fuck._

He focused his senses and reached out with the Force. _That wasn’t it._ _That was old way, the weak minded way._ He had to remember the sensation of Rey’s love to feel the Force around him. _No more struggling with the Force, no more trying to grapple with it_ \- he had to feel himself as part of it. In a flash, he had teleported to the backyard. 

Jinn looked up from where she sat on her little sister’s tree swing. “Are you looking for my Dad?”

“No, he’s training with Rey on Forms.”

“Who are you looking for?”

"I came to see you." Ben studied Jinn. He had never seen her look so disheveled. Her reddish blond hair wavy hair spilled, haphazardly out of a ponytail. Without her usual red lipstick and eyeliner, she looked like a teenager. A very sad teenager. “I wanted to thank you for healing me.”

She looked at his cane. “You’re not all the way fixed yet.”

“I know but I was kind of a dick and I’m sorry.”

“ _Kind o_ f a dick?”

“OK. I wasn’t nice at all.” He gave her a crooked smile. “But even when I hated everybody, I couldn’t bring myself to hate you. Or Wipolo.” He squeezed beside her on the wide tree swing. 

Her eyes searched his face. Her lips curved into a tiny smile. "Are you trying to make me cry?"

Ben knew Jinn had an emotional stake in his recovery, both mental and physical. Not only had she healed his spine when he had been paralyzed, she had been the one who had brought him back from the dead. Leia had bullied Jinn into resurrecting him from the dead, going against her better judgement. Ben knew that saving him had put Jinn in a horrible position - having to choose between her Master’s training and her sister’s pleas. Not wanting her sacrifice to be in vain, Jinn had always been Ben's harshest critic.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead gently. "Thank you for caring about me."

"You're welcome, Ben."

Jinn frowned as the tree creaked under the extra weight. "Oh my gods, you're so sweaty. What's wrong with you?" 

He wiped his face with his damp shirt. A breeze shook the leaves of the ancient tree.

“Are you OK, Jinn?”

“Mostly.” She turned to Ben, her sea green eyes had lost their sparkle. “I miss Wipolo. I miss seeing him everyday."

"He misses you too. He seems kind of miserable."

She shook her head slowly. "I don’t know how to reconcile my feeling for Wipolo with the person he is turning out to be."

Ben thought about the dramatic change in Wipolo's character from the quiet, frightened young man he'd first met to the natural leader who had led a training session on Makashi. "I think he's relieved he doesn't have to pretend any more."

"I thought he was just this hopeless, sweet, gently natured force sensitive guy with no ambition who just happened to like me. But all this time he was secretly this super disciplined, well trained, Sith heir.”

"He's still the same gentle, kind, hard working person." Ben reasoned. 

"He's a Dooku!"

“Rey is a Palpatine. I’m the grandson of Vader. OK, that's a bad example cuz I’m sort of a piece of crap. But you still find a way to love me, right?”

Jinn’s pretty face crumpled into a teary smile. Her vision blurred with tears. “I do. You’ve been a wretched, horrid person most of your life but I love the man you’re becoming.”

“His family name doesn't matter any more than Rey's does. Wipolo is _still_ gentle and patient. And he may _truly_ possess _no_ ambition whatsoever. Maybe we need to redefine our image of him now that we know he’s a total badass.” He bumped his shoulder against her. “Your Dad called him _astonishing_.”

Jinn was silent for a long moment. “Can you get off this swing? You’re gonna break it.” 

“I don’t think I’m gonna break the swing. I’m not _that_ heavy.”

"Do you want to be the one who has to explain it to Shadda if you break the whole tree?”

“OK, OK.”

“Did Wipolo send you to talk to me?”

“No. He and his brother went on leave for a few days.” 

“Wait - What?! He has a brother?!"

"Yeah. Harry. He's an big time engineer." Ben spun the tree swing sideways, making Jinn laugh. "Rose says he's sort of a tramp."

"Oh yeah, that guy. He's sleeping with Leia."

"100 percent wish I didn't know that. Are you sure?"

Jinn nodded, biting her lip as Ben grimaced. "I'm 100 percent sure that he's 100 percent doing the deed with your mother."

"You're trying to torture me." He spun the swing until Jinn shrieked. He caught the swing and kissed the top of her head. "I like seeing you smile. Your dimples were getting dusty."

Jinn hugged Ben. "Where did Wipolo go on leave?”

“They said Coruscant but I don't think that’s where they went.”

“Why do you say that?”

“They didn’t take anything with them. Not even their passports.” 


	27. Travel

Wipolo handed over his identification to the transport shuttle ticket agents. They inspected it closely and returned it to him without a word. He slipped it in his back pocket carelessly. It didn’t matter if he lost it. He had others. 

He had been born Wilhelm Oba Diah Serenno Navarre. It was a name he had never used and would be unable to prove ever existed. Names were fluid enough but he liked to stick with W’s. The end of the alphabet had kept him in the back of the classroom in grade school. His oldest brother Saffin had stood out too much in school, being repeatedly labelled mentally ill due to the persistent visions and the voice in his head. Wipolo had learned the value of fading into the background. 

⇄

Three shuttles later, Wipolo boarded a transport bus to the Sapphire Beach neighborhood, getting off three blocks away, as his mother had instructed. After he had graduated high school, his family had moved to Batuu in an affluent suburb of Peka. The house was nice, but not too nice. His father’s Oris Root farm was successful but not too successful.

Wipolo felt no attachment to Peka, he hadn’t grown up here. He knew they would stay until his younger sister was through school and then they would move again. Five to seven years was the average. 

⇄

Maris, which was not her real name, waited to greet Wipolo at the door. Tall and blond, she looked far younger than her 54 years. She had always been pleased that her daughter and three sons looked nothing like her. She had hoped that her union with a near human would sever their connection to the Force but it had only provided superficial protection. Their father Jullian’s strong Kiffar genes had given her children caramel skin and dark brown hair. Her second oldest, Harry, was the exception and Maris had dyed his honey brown hair dark until he had joined the Resistance. 

Wipolo and his brother had expected their overprotective Mother to reject the idea of joining the Resistance but she had been all for it. 

Maris, who insisted on massive amounts of privacy for her children, had no outward interests or political affiliations. Recognition was not in her best interest. She had fought hard for her family to have a normal life and this required total invisibility. Time and time again, Maris had to step away from expressing opinions and had to avoid conflicts with schools, doctors and neighbors. For all outward appearances, she was mild mannered and passive. None of her wealthy neighbors would guess that Maris Navarre had financially backed The Resistance for years. It was a cause she deeply believed in as well as an excellent way to quietly dispose of excess income. She had connections deep within the Resistance who could channel funds into various accounts so her husband’s income appeared to match his vocation. 

Maris lorded over a secret empire of hidden bank accounts, investments and vast property holdings. Her children knew little of the extent of their wealth and she intended to keep it that way. Protecting her family was her life’s work, a duty she gladly accepted. 

Two generations of her family had remained successfully hidden from Searchers, bounty hunters, trackers and detectives. She carefully coached her children to block their Force signatures and control their natural powers. They must not call attention to themselves. Any holonet clip, any picture could be dangerous. 

This was proving more difficult with Wipolo. She had badgered Harry into revealing that Wipolo was working directly with Rey, hero of her beloved Resistance. Maris was proud but also quite concerned. There was bound to be publicity around the Jedi Training Center on Ajan Kloss. She was quietly funding it but the other financial backers, several of the former great houses of Coruscant, wanted to hear their names on the Galactic News. 

  
  



	28. Family

Wipolo’s Mother’s real name was not Maris. Nor was it Yokiella or Avanshy or Tazal or Lorel. By the time she was 40, she had cycled through 11 names.

Only she and her mother knew her real name. Other children attached such importance to their names. Autographing yearbooks, names on lunchboxes, initials stitched into sweaters. Using her real name was one of the few luxuries she could not afford.

⇆

Maris called her mother Jenza. It was never Momma or Mother, it was always Jenza. The Serrano had a longer lifespan and hormonal cycle than most humans. Her mother had given birth to her at the advanced age of 84. Jenza was now 138, and had never been more beautiful. Maris rarely knew where Jenza was living but she did know her mother was happy. Or as happy as anyone could be after living on the run for five decades.

⇆

54 years ago, skipping between worlds, Jenza had ended up on Sifo-Dyas' remote country estate on Minashee.

Years earlier, Dooku had been tasked by the Emperor killing his best friend. It was a test of loyalty, the murder served as his final trial on his path to becoming Palpatine’s apprentice. But Sifos had foreseen the betrayal years before. Knowing his visions of the future were changeable, Sifo had decided on to play a different card. A visionary with unlimited funds, Sifo had commissioned the Kamino to create a non-satient clone of himself and positioned the lifeless body in the wreckage of his T-6 shuttle on Oba Diah. Sifo had narrowly detection by Dooku when he came to claim the prize of Sifo’s corpse.

Sifo fled Oba Diah quietly and retreated to the lush green planet Minashee. He had bought a sprawling farm in the foothills of the Harp Mountains and had every intention of dying there in peace. 

One spring night, Jenza had appeared on his doorstep with an infant. There was no question who the father was. The baby's soft brown eyes had locked onto him with an inescapable stare. He could feel the Force rolling off the baby girl in waves. 

Sighing heavily, Sifo ushered her into his home. "How did you find me?"

"You talked about moving to this stupid farm for years."

"I didn’t think you were listening when we talked."

"Neither did Dooku." Jenza smirked.

"Does he think I’m dead?" 

"Don’t be an idiot. I wouldn’t be here if he thought you were alive." 

"I suppose you need a place to stay?"

"And my child will need to be trained in the ways of the Force."

"I’m too damn old."

"Get over it. We’ve got work to do."

"What if he finds us?"

"Then we’ll both be dead."

⇆

Jenza had moved away from Minashee the same day they buried Sifo. Maris had sobbed uncontrollably as they shoveled dirt over his body but Jenza simply kept shoveling.

⇆

  
Maris’ stepfather, Xala Pio, was a wealthy arms dealer and part time pirate. She had learned from him that she wanted a better life, a quiet life. Safety did not have to be a race between remote locations, it could be choreographed artfully. He helped Maris learn how to play the system: how to acquire decent false identification, create shell corporations, cover her trail and how to disappear without a trace.

At age 19, Maris made the choice to hide in plain sight. At 54, she was a master. 

⇆

When they were together, Jenza had watched Dooku tread into the dark side like it was a parlor game. Time and time again, he had wandered too far afield. Read what should not be read, touch what would not be touched, see what could not be unseen. Dooku felt he was entitled to walk between the Light and Dark. His arrogance and belief in his superiority had left him damaged and unbalanced. Jenza did not know when the cracks had formed but she knew he was not stable enough to filter away so much evil.

Jenza had listened to Dooku and Sifos talk and talk and talk. They spoke of Sifo’s visions, of prophecies, of dark side relics and powers. They always talked as though Jenza was not in the same room, doing embroidery. She was of less concern to them than a lamp or throw pillow.

Dooku had said he loved her a thousand times but what did that really mean? At the time, it was thrilling. He was everything to her. Growing up, every man she met was measured against Dooku. No one compared, no one even came close. He was intelligent and handsome and could convince anyone to do anything. Including Jenza.

He had a perfect explanation for everything. Dooku could reason away her concerns on every subject. It wasn’t hard because she had wanted so badly to believe in him, she had needed to. She loved him but she shouldn’t. She let him kill for her even though she knew it was wrong. 

⇆

Now, over 50 years later, Dooku spoke to Maris and grandchildren daily, sending chilling messages through the Force. When he said he would honor and protect them, Jenza believed him. When he said he would never stop until him found them, Jenza knew he meant every single word.


	29. Home

When Wipolo looked at his sister Winnie, he could still remember how she felt in his arms as an infant. He was thirteen when she was born. A spring baby, he remembered holding her in his arms while his mother swam laps in their community pool. Maris didn’t take pictures so all his memories were tactile and colored by scent and sound. She had been a sweaty baby and Wipolo had to change positions often. She had loved the sun, even as an infant, and Wipolo and his brothers took turns walking her around and around the pool.

Winnie had grown since he had joined The Resistance. She wouldn’t be tall like the rest of the family: she took after the women of his father’s side of the family. Winnie's skin was almost as dark as her father's and her chestnut hair was sunstreaked with gold. Their mother was so pleased with Winnie's remblance to her father. Maris did not want her children to take after her side. She treasured their father’s Kiffar heritage, decorating the house with everything she could find from Kiffu: wall hangings, pottery and painting were proudly displayed. There were pictures representing Maris’ heritage as well but they were all fake, purchased off world and doctored to fit whatever personal narrative she was trying to pass off at the time. It was her custom to claim sites of natural disasters as her home world. When a region was evacuated, people’s questions were about the event, not who your cousins were.

Maris was quiet out of habit. She always taught her children that other people always want to talk about themselves. Let them talk. You do not have a story to tell so let other people fill the silence.

⇆

Winnie had a friend over and Wipolo worried she wouldn’t want to hug him. Her eyes lit up and she tore across the room, jumping up to embrace him. He had brought her the Resistance Ring she had wanted. There was spicy dragwood tea for his father and theifwood incense for his mother. 

"You shouldn’t have brought this - you could have been searched!" Maris exclaimed. But the smile on her face was worth it. They had lived on Naboo briefly when Wipolo was a child and he remembered how much his mother enjoyed the smell. 

⇆

Wipolo's father, Julian, worked in the tiered Orris Root farm. At 54, he looked like a statue of a deity. Bronze skin, thick brown hair and sparkling dark eyes. He and Maris adored each other but she had wiped his memories so many times, she was certain his neural networks were damaged. It wasn’t safe for him to know the danger. Maybe someday Maris would allow him to know the truth of her family, maybe when they were in their old age. 

⇆

Julian was handsome and affectionate but, even before he memory losses, he lacked depth. Early in their relationship, Maris realized he was naturally forgetful and not particularly interested in learning about Maris’ past. It wasn’t the deep spiritual love that she longed for but it was all she could allow herself to have. He loved and watched over their children but did not seem troubled when each one of them started to hear voices and have visions. They could come to him for physical comfort and help fixing things but anything else was beyond him. Their 4 children fulfilled Maris’ need for connections. She couldn’t have close friends but she enjoyed a close and unique relationship with each one of her children. They communicated in one form or another daily and, with the exception of Wipolo, she usually knew everything that was going on in their lives.

⇆

Wipolo was the apex of Force ability in their family, the most like his grandfather. Maris had realized this early and faced it head on. It would be preposterous to repeat the same mistakes she had made with Saffin, her oldest child.

While Wipolo was the strongest Force user, Saffin was the most deeply connected to Dooku. As a child, Saffin had starting hearing the voices early. He had spoken back Dooku's daily meditations. He had liked the voice and allowed it entrance into his head. Saffin had eventually reported the voices to his school nurse, who had phoned Maris to enquire about treatment plans for schizophrenia. They moved the next day. 

Her three subsequent children had been well prepared for the voice that called out to them, sending fantastic images and whispering of untold power and riches. Maris knew the routine well. She had been plagued by the same lures throughout her entire life. 


	30. New Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Very stressed as the story is going in different directions - I feel like I’m losing control of it!! Suggestions welcome!
> 
> I do love writing Dooku.

Location: Kaon, Serenno

⇄

Dooku forced himself to walk through his sister Jenza’s bedroom every single day. Most of the old castle had been taken over by the New Castle school but Jenza’s bedroom had been locked away and preserved. He kept the windows closed to conserve Jenza’s scent. He’d tried to replicate her perfume over the years but it never quite smelled the same without her unique hormonal signature.

He had also maintained the residency Jenza had chosen in Northern Province on the planet Zeltros. He visited the home twice every year; once on Jenza’s birthday and once on the date their child was to have been born. His child would be 54 this year. Still in the Springtime of life for a Serenno who could live to be 200. He speculated he might be a grandfather by now. 

His daily meditations were aimed at his heirs. Wherever, whoever they might be. His Force reached out to them directly. Reassuring them. Reminding them. Making sure they knew, in the gentlest way possible, that they would never, ever be able to escape his reach. Through the cold night air, he dreamt of them. A son or daughter who had been stolen away. Regal, slim with noble features. Perhaps they walked an ordinary path in life. It was possible they were unaware of their lineage but he deemed that scenario quite unlikely, considering the effort he’d put into searching for Jenza.

Though Dooku could not discern their location, he could tell that his meditations did not simply flow outward into space. They did not dissipate or decay. He could feel the intersection of energy as they passed through an entity. Someone, somewhere out there, was receiving his messages. 

⇆

He fantasized about murdering Jenza while he had his bi-weekly blood transfusion. He often vacillated between fantasies of slashing at her body with an ax until she was reduced to an unrecognizable pulp or the even less productive dream that he had been able to thwart her escape 54 years ago. 

He had commissioned several clones of Jenza over the years but each one had been an utter disappointment. He had only used them for formal occasions on Serenno. They were subpar at best. The most recent one had an unfortunate accident when he had lost his patience near an open window.

⇆

He was using a boy named Romon as his blood donor today. Dooku didn’t use him often as he was a moderately skilled Force user. Even worse, the boy had been featured in the school’s promotional materials so he wasn’t disposable. His blood wasn’t on par with Tinky but he had always felt strongly that rotating donors was a wise practice.

Recent studies had proven his hunch to be correct. Overuse of a blood donor caused organ failure. He thoroughly enjoyed Tinky’s blood and hoped to preserve her as a donor for long as possible. He hoped she would be viable for a few more years. Dooku planned to eventually harvest her liver and kidneys. Tinky had grown up in the lower levels of Coruscant so her lungs were trash. 

The scalp transplant market was quite lucrative but Dooku planned to spare Tinky the indignity of mutilating her corpse. She had served him well. Her blood, her collagen, her breast milk. He would return her body to her family and compensate them generously.

⇆

  
Dooku nodded curtly at Romon. The boy’s inferior blood would make do for now. Romon was part of the top level, completely above board, section of the New Castle school. Dooku had tested the boy rigorously. He had some mild Force ability but inferior intellect. There was a younger sibling with greater potential named Domo. 

“Hello Romon”.

“Master Dooku?” Romon was startled to hear the Count speak to him. He had been instructed not to ever speak or make eye contact during the blood transfusion sessions.

“Romon, we’re looking forward to your brother Domo enrolling at our school soon.”

“My - my brother was recruited by another school, sir.” Romon stammered nervously. 

“What?!” Dooku nearly spilled his morning cup of breast milk. 

“There is a Jedi training school opening. A lady - Miss Quenobi came to talk to my parents about it.”

“Quenobi or Kenobi?!” Dooku roared.

“Sorry, sir. Sorry. I meant to say Kenobi. She taught us Aturi lessons at the House of Vahali.”

Dooku hurled Romon to the floor. He fought the urge to choke the stupid boy to death on the spot. “Why is this the FIRST I am hearing of any of this?!”


	31. Different Aspects of the Same Landscape

Location: The Netherworld of The Force

Qui Gonn stretched out beside Swans. His long frame didn’t quite fit the bed but he liked the feeling of his toes hanging off the edge of the mattress. One long leg rested against Swans as he wriggled his toes, enjoying the contrast between her warmth and the evening breeze.

His calm demeanor was a sharp contrast to her rattled nerves.

“Why do you love me?”

“Honestly?” He laughed, his eyes sparkled merrily.

“Yes, honestly!”

He studied her inch by inch. She was wearing pink lace underwear and a black tank top. Her hair was still wet from the shower. Qui Gon had pressed her against the black tile walls, his strong arms holding her in place while he fucked her senseless. He had made so come so hard, she had nearly blacked out. 

He traced the line of her hip down to her knee. “You look so beautiful.” 

“I _just_ asked you why you love me.” She stared at him incredulously. “Good gods, you should be able to come up with at least one reason why!”

“Are you feeling insecure Swans?”

“Are you fucking serious? Of course I’m feeling insecure! You tell me that my Force Influence makes people do things-“

“Sweetheart,” he interrupted. “You’ve been recruiting pilots and mechanics for the Resistance for years. This can hardly come as a shock.”

Her round lips curved into a frown. “What if this affair is all a mishmash of my fantasies brought to fruition by my Force Influence?”

“It’s hardly a simple affair. I’m in love with you. You’re in love with me. Our souls have bonded. Your parents know about us.”

“You’re doing an _absolutely_ dreadful job reassuring me. We’re supposed to be moving in together!”

Qui Gonn smiled and kissed her hand. “My beloved, you’re working yourself into a state.”

“Don’t even think about laughing at me right now. Nothing is funny. Not _one_ single thing.”

His lips twitched against a smile. “All right then, to address your question, I do recall the first time I thought of you sexually. It was your 22nd birthday and you leaned over to cut a slice of cake. I looked down your shirt and that was pretty much it for me.”

“My breasts?” She looked dejected. “You love me because of my breasts? Every other person has breasts. I can’t believe that’s your argument.”

“It’s not an argument nor is it the end of my story.” He leaned over and kissed each of her breasts slowly. “When I became aware of you as a mature woman, I started to notice everything about you. How you hold your breath after you say hello, how you like to pause and stand in doorways before you enter a room, how your skin smells after a shower, the way you try to protect your Father from whatever horrible things your sisters are doing. I love your eyes. I love everything about you.”

“Would you even know if I Force Influenced you into loving me?”

“I’m don’t think it works like that”

Her brow creased with worry. 

Qui Gon sat up, noting her shoulders sag. “Swans, why do you look so sad?”

She turned away so he wouldn’t see her eyes welling up with tears. 

He ran a hand down her thigh. “You haven’t Force Influenced me into falling in love with you. You cannot believe that’s true. You haven’t bewitched me.” 

“But it seems I could if I wanted to.” 

“Is that why I’ve stopped wearing sandals?”

“This isn’t a joke.”

Swan turned back to him. “You are guided by the Force more than the Jedi teachings?”

“That’s an overly simplified assessment,” he said evenly. “But yes, my views are different than Master Yoda. I like to think we each see different aspects of the same landscape.” 

“Wait a second, when I saw that vision you had of me, with the pink blindfold -“

Qui Gon stirred. “Oh yes.” He ran his fingers lazily along the outline of her breast

“Was that my fantasy or yours? Was it a fantasy or a memory?”

“What do you mean?”

“Qui Gon, did you imagine that or were you remembering the future?” 

“That isn’t how time works, Swans.”

Swans pulled her pillow over her head and screamed. “Oh my gods, you’re driving me bonkers! How can you be a visionary and not be able to answer a simple question? Fantasy or vision of the future? You should be able to tell the difference!” 

Qui Gon smiled pleasantly. “I’m not sure how this pertains to Force Influence.”

“Fantasy or vision?”

“Vision.” Qui Gon spoke confidently. “Then elaborated upon by becoming a reoccurring fantasy of mine.”

Swans sat up in shock. Her hair hung in her face as she processed his words. 

His face remained calm.“I do not have the gift of foresight because the future is not set. I have visions of possibilities.”

“I understand that part.” Her voice was hollow. 

He moved so she had to face him. His head bowed, his blue eyes cast downward in a shy way Swans had never seen before. “I had many visions of us together.” 

“When?” She had never witnessed him avoid eye contact 

“I’d rather not say.” He whispered.

“When?”

“It would be inappropriate for me to say. But I can tell you that I’ve known for a very long time that you were my mate. I worked hard to set aside any and all thoughts of you until you were twenty two. And then I simply couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

The tears flowed out of her eyes. “I’ve always known that I loved you. Does that make you uncomfortable to hear?”

“Swans, you can tell me anything.”

“I hate your hair short like this.” 

“You’ve already told me that. Several times.” 

“It will grow back, right?”

“Yes, my love.” He grinned. “See, your Force Influence isn’t guiding my decisions. I cut my hair, thinking you might like it but I was wrong.”

“Totally wrong.” 

“See I do things you don’t approve of. My poncho, for example.”

“I like your poncho.”

“My sandals?”

“I threw those away.”

“And this. I know you are not influencing me to do this.” He knelt before her. “Swans Luminara Kenobi, will you marry me?”

“What?”

He took her hand gently. “I’m asking if you want to marry me, Swans.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s a generally a yes or no question.” His voice teased. 

“I need to think about it. You’re like, 120 years old.”

“117.”

He took a ring from their nightstand. It was a black band bearing a large black stone that shimmered with veins of deep red. “The stone is from my homeworld, from the River of Light.”

She looked down at him as he continued to kneel. “It’s too soon for me.” She took the ring from him. “It’s pretty. Can I wear it until I’m ready to get married?”

“That is the way engagements customarily work.” He smiled at the sight of the ring on her finger.

“What if I’m not ready for a long time?”

“Then I will wait for a long time.”

⇆


	32. Jenza

The last time Wipolo had seen his sister, she had been playing with dolls. Now she was watching holonet videos with her friend, trying to learn dance moves. He said hello to his Father while Winnie’s friend prepared to leave. They giggled about plans to meet at the pool soon. A pang shot through Wipolo as he thought about his sister’s future: one day soon, she would move away from Peeka or she would need to wipe her friend’s memories. 

He fought back emotions, even though Winnie was 11, she was still his baby sister.

Wipolo sipped a glass of tea, enjoying the feel of the cool kitchen tiles beneath his feet. Winnie appeared in the kitchen, her pretty face twisted with anger. “Why didn’t you tell me about  _ him _ ? Everybody knew but me! You let me grow up thinking everything was OK. I thought I was normal. I thought we were a regular family!”

Wipolo pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry. I truly am. There’s nothing normal about us. We wanted you to have a happy childhood just like we did. It’s only fair that you get to have that too.”

“Momma said it’s bad now.”

Wipolo nodded. “Yeah Win, it’s changed.” He kept his arm around Winnie’s shoulder as Maris, Saffin and Harry entered the living room. 

“When did you get here?” Harry was shirtless barefoot, drinking a beer. 

“Just now. Where did Dad go?”

“Mom sent him out for pears -“

“- to Surabat” Maris interrupted. “We have two hours, at least.” Maris routinely used her Force to compel her husband. She wasn’t proud of it but it was convenient. “Your Grandmother needs to speak with us.”

Wipolo looked around the room for a screen. Jenza video chatted with her family every holiday, birthday. He was unprepared to see her in person. She was spectacular in a hand painted one shoulder [silk dress that somehow resembled a butterfly.](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/luly-yang-butterfly-dress) Her immaculate grey hair was swept away from her lovely face. Her kohl rimmed pale blue eyes scanned over her grandchildren, relishing their surprised faces. 

“Jenza, you look divine.” Maris dove into her mother’s arms. I can’t believe you’re really here! You should have given me some warning.”

Jenza smiled warmly. “We can’t afford warnings. I just love this house, darling. It’s so small and cozy” She turned to her grandchildren, her arms out. “How long must I wait?!”


	33. Grandmother

Wipolo and his siblings rushed to hug Jenza

“Harry, don’t you own a shirt? I’m kidding sweetheart, you are exquisite.”

“Thanks, Grandma.” He beamed as she kissed his forehead. 

“You have my nose, you gorgeous boy.”

“My baby Wilhelmina!”

Winnie giggled, unused to hearing her real name. “Grandma, your dress is so pretty.”

“Thank you, my dove.” 

Jenza shuddered as she held Saffin. “How are you, Saffie?”

“I’m OK. Grandma.”

Jenza studied her eldest grandson like a puzzle. Her crimson lips trembled with emotion. “You must be so tired chasing after a 6 year old all day! Why won’t you let me hire you a nanny?”

”Grandma, you worry too much about me. Mags is in first grade.” Saffin smiled and pointed outside to where his son was jumping on a trampoline. “We’re fine. He’s keeping me sane. Don’t be sad.”

Jenza swallowed hard, unable to make peace with Saffin’s struggle. He had been on the receiving end of Dooku’s most violent, most persistent visions. She rocked him back and forth. “Just let me be sorry, Saf. I don’t know any other way to feel.”

When it was Wipolo’s turn, Jenza put her hands on his shoulders and held him at an arm’s length. “You’re becoming more powerful. I can sense the change in you.”

“I’m being careful about blocking my Force.” Wipolo answered too quickly.  
  
“As well you should be!” Jenza scolded.

”And you!” Jenza directed an immaculately polished nail at Harry. “You must be having quite an affair, my dear Harlon. Who is this siren who has broken your resolve?”   
  
Harry was stunned. “I- I haven’t let my guard down.”

”Well darling, you must be slipping because I can sense your force in the wee hours of the morning.”   
  


Harry hung his head. “I’m sorry. I’ll work harder to control it.”

“Oh dear gods, you’re in love! Don’t deny it.”

Winnie started to giggle.

“Everything has changed, Grandma.” 

She narrowed her eyes at Harry. “Nothing has changed. You need to keep it in your pants and finish building that damn deflector shield!”   
  


”I knew that anonymous donor was you!”

Jenza sighed breezily. “Who else would it be? Your Mother certainly doesn’t have that kind of money!”

Maris kept a poker face. She loved Jenza but it served no purpose for her Mother to understand her financial position. 

Jenza spread her arms wide, dramatically. “My beloved Grandchildren, you are the future. You are the ones who will face him!”

Wipolo’s eyes searched the room, alarmed. His eyes locked on his Mother’s. Maris nodded at Jenza’s statement but he could tell by her posture that she would rather die than see that come to pass.

Jenza gestured for the family to sit. She turned to Wipolo, her kohl rimmed eyes sparkling. “Tell me about _her_.”

Wipolo froze. “Who?”

“Rey, of course!!! Is she as powerful as they say?

“I believe so.”

“Force Lightning?”

“Yes. And -“ he felt like a traitor. “Ben Solo has it.”

“I am _not_ impressed by Kylo Ren.”

“He is no longer Kylo Ren. He has joined Rey on the light side of the Force. With Rey, his powers are growing. Ben trains with Netherworld Spirits. They both do.”

”Impossible!” Jenza sputtered.

“They cross into the Netherworld of the Force?” Even his jaded Grandmother was shocked.

“Yes. And they visit us.” 

“This is significant.”

“I’ve - um met Master Kenobi and Master Qui Gon.”

“Qui Gon?! Do they know about you?”

He nodded, not making eye contact with his family. “I’m very sorry.”

“It was inevitable. You can’t hide from someone as gifted as Qui Gon. How is that lovely man?”

“He is well. He has found love in the Netherworld. It suits him.”

“I imagine it would. She must be a lucky woman.”

“She’s-“

“Is Obi-Wan well?” Jenza interrupted.

“Yes. He has raised five children in the Netherworld of the Force.”

“Five! My goodness. He has been busy in the afterlife.” Her grin faded. “Do they know about me?”

“They know he didn’t kill you. They know about the clones.”

Jenza clutched her heart dramatically, sorting through the new information. 

“The Count doesn't knows Obi-Wan is a dead. When he confronted them, he couldn't tell Obi-Wan was Force Spirit. He tried to kill him.” 

“Well, the Count is many things but perceptiveness is not one of his strongest abilities." Jenza fingered her massive emerald teardrop earrings. "This is so very odd. Tell me everything.”

Wipolo described the encounter with Dooku at the Maternal Clinic on Kebolar. 

“He knew Rey and Ben Solo were coming?”

“They said the clinic scanned her palm. He must have been looking for her. He must have been on alert.” Wipolo still couldn’t dare look in his grandmother’s eyes. “The Count didn’t try to kill Ben. I mean, Kylo Ren. He went for Obi-Wan not Rey or Ben. He said something about Rey being a vessel.”

Jenza inhaled slowly. “Oh dear. Well that does tell us a great deal. He has grown impatient.” Jenza tapped her fingers together. The cat and mouse game was her life.

“He doesn’t know about any of you and he might be giving up on finding me.” She straightened her shoulders and faced her family. “He needs an heir. He is of the same mindset as Palpatine, that his heir must be of his bloodline. But The Count would never settle for a clone. He must see Rey as a potential womb for his offspring.”

“But she’s already pregnant.”

“He visited her maternity doctor, he is interested in whether she is viable. You said she is strong. What is her force influence?”

“It is vast.”

“Is she aware of it?”

“She is not.”

“Of course not. The best ones never are.”


	34. Island

Maris and Wipolo stayed inside while Jenza went out to the backyard to watch as Saffin’s 6 year old son, Magdalia, jumped on the trampoline with Winnie. They stood at the counter of the sun filled kitchen while they spoke. Maris peeled an apple as they spoke, slowly handing Wipolo carefully carved slices.

Maris turned to Wipolo. “The Force Spirits are really working with you?” Her eyes spilled over with tears. “I wish they had been there when I needed help with Saffin. I didn’t know what I was doing.” 

“I wish they could have been there for you when you were younger, Mom.“

“I had everything I needed.“ Maris’ voice was stubborn. “My Master had his faults but he was the finest man I’ve ever known.”

“I know. I didn’t mean any disrespect.”

Maris wiped away her tears. “I’m grateful Ahsoka was there for you and your brothers.”

The unspoken question hung in the air. Would Ahsoka train Winnie? Would they ever see her again?

”I’m glad you were there for us, Mom. You did a great job training us too.”

”I wish you could have known Master Dyas. He was such a quiet soul.”

“Like Saf?”

Maris nodded, her breath was ragged with tears. After a long pause, she finally spoke. “Is Qui-Gon _as_ handsome as they say?”

Wipolo laughed. “My girlfriend thinks so.”

Maris kissed his forehead. “I can’t wait to meet her. I wish we’d known a healer when Master Dyas got sick.” 

Wipolo didn’t see any reason to point out that Sifo Dyas was 91 when he died.

“Do - do you think they could find out if Master Dyas is in the Netherworld?“

“I’m sure he’s there.” Wipolo nodded, thinking that there must be some flexibility if both Anakin and Kylo Ren had made the cut. “I’ll ask when I see Jinn.”

“They come to you - my gods, so much has changed.” Maris marveled. “Do you think they would come to the island?” 

Wipolo stared at his Mother, astonished. "Are saying we should tell them?"

Maris leaned back against the kitchen counter, thinking. "I need to think about it."


	35. Confide

Location: Black Spires Medical Crisis Center, Batuu

For the first time in his life, Wipolo Nagg wished he was a smoker. He couldn’t figure out what to do with his hands while he stood outside the Black Spires Medical Crisis Center, trying to gather his nerve. He buttoned and rebuttoned his drab olive shirt, trying to focus on anything but his own reflection.

He studied his face in the glass door of the Medical Center. The resemblance to his grandfather made him sick.

Wipolo’s caramel skin and scruffy black hair reflected his father’s Kiffar heritage. While he had none of Dooku's coloring, looking at old photos, Wipolo knew the resemblance was strong. Facing forward, it wasn't obvious but his profile gave him away. The round eyes, the straight boyish nose, the high cheekbones and narrow square chin. And then there was the matter of his height. He routinely listed himself as 6’2 but he was really 6’4, dangerously close to Dooku's remarkle height of 6'5. He reasoned that no one was going to come around with measuring tape to check. It was just another one of the collection of small lies he used to protect himself.  
  


Wipolo checked his wallet, staring blankly at the fake identification he was carrying. He couldn’t remember who he was supposed to be. Winden Naples? He could still hear his mother's list of warnings ringing in his head: He needed to be more careful. He needed to keep his story straight, don't give personal information unless asked, make your stories vague. He rebuttoned his bottom shirt button over and over. What else had she said? _Security cameras were everywhere. Palm scanning, fingerprint sampling, face recognition scanning on large crowds._ He stared into the patchworked streets of Black Spires. He thought the backwater city seemed like a low risk for modern surveillance. Maris' cautioning voice echoed in his mind: _You can't control what was out there, you can only control your own response to threats. You can't protect anyone besides yourself._  
  


⇆

The waiting room of the medical crisis center was empty. He was surprised to find Jinn on her hands and knees in front of the carefully maintained wall that had been papered with pictures of the war’s missing. Families from all over the galaxy had taped photos and pleas for information to the Center’s main lobby wall.

“It’s so quiet here.” Wipolo said softly.

Jinn looked up from where she was picked up a wilted daisy. "It’s a slow day. Only one trauma case. A teenager with multiple organ failure. He didn't make it."

Wipolo stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I'm sorry."

“I wish I knew what happened.”

She didn’t seem surprised to see Wipolo, even though he was scheduled to be on Ajan Kloss. Her strawberry blond hair was loose around her shoulders. Her blue green scrubs perfectly matched her wide eyes. She was wearing red lipstick that accentuated her perfect, round lips. He inhaled sharply, momentarily stunned by her beauty.

“I used to wonder who picked up this stuff at the end of the day.” Jinn gesturing at the small candles, flowers and mementos that had been placed in front of the memorial wall.

“Now you’re doing it?” He managed to croak out.

“That’s what you get for asking.”

He knelt down beside her, picking up dead flowers. “You leave up the pictures?”

“Until they fade too much.”

“Or the owner shows up?”

She nodded slowly. "But that never happens." She gestured at the photos staring down at them. Faces silenced by time. "They're probably all dead."

He took the dead flowers from her and quietly disposed of them in the lobby trash can. Her eyes followed his lanky frame. He was wearing new clothes. They were drab but perfectly tailored for his long limbs. She wondered if he'd been to Coruscant, where her sister went to shop. Maybe he'd been home, wherever home was.

It was strange how different he seemed. He had always been quiet but now he radiated a calm confidence. His shoulders were straighter, his dark eyes never left hers.

“Jinn, Can we please talk?”

⇆

Jinn closed the door behind them in Examining Room 4, where Jinn had saved his life, where she had felt his Force, where they had fallen in love. He inhaled the familiar smell of blood and disinfectant. The room was different but he wasn't immediately sure what had changed. Jinn followed his gaze as he looked at the wall above the examination table. Jinn had recently hung a painting of the old Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Hidden behind the picture were the words Wipolo had written with his own blood when he had first met Jinn.

He lifted a corner of the paining. She had covered up his words but she had not wiped them away: I ♥ Jinn

Wipolo touched the dried blood. “Those words are still true.” 

She frowned. “I wish I actually knew the man who wrote those words.”

“You know me, Jinn.”

“I don’t.”

An older nurse, a Batuun with gray tentacles, peaked his head into the examination room. “Jinn! Can you assist us with a dental extraction? Unogra wants to take a nap.”

“I’m with a patient!”

“Oh, well you better start a chart on him.” He shuffled off, humming to himself.

Jinn gripped the clipboard tightly. “OK, the first question is a hard one.” 

Wipolo sat down on the examination table. His long legs dangled off the edge.

Jinn clicked her pen “Name?”

“Wilhelm Oba Diah Serenno Navarre.”

Jinn’s eyes widened with surprise. “Wilhelm?”

“But I'm starting to like the name Wipolo. When you say it, it looks like you’re going to kiss me.”

She shook her head slightly, trying to clear her memory of the sensation of his soft lips. “Age?”

“27.”

“You lied about your age?!”

“Just by two years.”

“That’s still a lie.”

Wipolo shifted uncomfortably. 

Jinn clicked her pen rapidly. “Occupation? Bear in mind that I actually know the answer to this one. Not that it will stop you from lying.”

“I work for the Resistance. Classified work. Before that I was a history major.”

Her pretty features crumbled with pain. “Why are you telling me this now? All of a sudden you want to confess?” 

“I’m confiding not confessing." Wipolo hopped up on the examination table, moving closer to Jinn, his dark eyes held her in place. “I was trying to protect you but that seems pointless now. My Grandfather found Rey and Ben. And he tried to kill your father.”

“My father can protect himself from Dooku.” Jinn snapped.

Wipolo's voice took a stern tone. “Out of Rey, Ben Solo and Obi-Wan, The Countwent for Obi-Wan. He will come after you. You _and_ all your sisters.”

“ _We_ are more than capable of taking care of ourselves.”

“The Count is the greatest lightsaber duelist in history.”

“The greatest? How do you know that?” 

“Because I’ve been studying him my entire life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been waiting forever to get around to this chapter.


	36. Examining Room 4

Wipolo propped a chair under the door handle of examining room 4. His heart beat loudly in his chest as breathed in the sweet leafy green smell of Jinn’s perfume. He sat down on the examining room table, trying not to swing his long legs.

Jinn stepped closer to him, brushing up against his knees. His eyes danced over her features. Her exquisite cheekbones, her sharp, knowing eyes, her long vulnerable neck. He gripped the edges of the examination table, trying to keep his emotions under control. 

She set her hands on his shoulders lightly and he momentarily worried she was going to choke him to death. Their eyes met and she smiled at his dazed expression. Her fingers raked through his hair gently as she stepped into his arms. 

“My gods, Jinn.” He breathed gratefully.

Relief. He could touch her again. Tension unwound slowly as he felt her warmth spreading through him. His arms wrapped around her back tightly. He exhaled through his mouth slowly, trying to slow his breathing down, trying not to tear her clothes off. There was, once again, a reason and purpose for all things. 

"Jinn, I’ve missed you so much." He inhaled sharply. Her Force Energy always caught him off guard. The weird buzzy warmth, the heightened consciousness, the shift in the weight of air. His skin against hers. He lowered his lips to brush against the smooth skin of her neck. Her perfume and the clean scent of shampoo. And in the between the beats of his heart, he lost control. Wipolo's carefully guarded Force blipped through to mix with Jinn's. Her energy pulled him forward, his Force and body aching to join with her. She gasped as she felt his energy, warm and sharp as an ocean breeze. In a flash of light, she glimpsed into his memory: deep blue water, white washed walls, cerulean floor tiles, pale curtains flapping against the wind. 

His Force ebbed back like a wave and she pulled away from him. He couldn't read her expression until she smiled. 

"The sea?" She whispered. "Your Force showed me an island?"

He nodded, unable to speak. It was a mistake. He should never lose control but looking at her face now, so close and so full of joy, he didn't regret a thing.

"Switch places with me." Wipolos voice was the same: soft and gently but he spoke with a commanding tone Jinn had never heard before. Maybe it had always been there but she hadn’t noticed.

She paused, trying to decide how to respond. Mesmerized by his quiet voice, she moved to his spot on the examination room table. He stepped between her legs. His large hands cupped her sweet face gently. He met her eyes and held her stare.

"Take off your shirt. Please."

"OK.” She unbuttoned his shirt instead, slowly running her hands over his smooth stomach. His skin was so warm. She traced his wide shoulders and protruding collarbones. Her hands reached behind his back, running down his spine. Wipolo's breathing shifted. He took in a shaky breath As he watched her expression shift but he didn’t move to touch her. As she explored the planes of his body, he realized she had never touched a man like this. Intimacy was newer to her than he’d thought. He shivered involuntarily at the idea of being her first.

Her fingertips ran up his back and laced through his thick hair. “I want to be with you but not here. Not now." She flushed deeply but did not break eye contact.

Almost on cue, the door handle jiggled. She held her breath until she heard Unagora's distinctive, weak knock. 

"Jinn, open up. The door is stuck." He jostled the handle again. "Can you make tea?"

"Just pour hot water in a cup and put the tea bag in." Jinn spoke through clenched teeth. Her fingers rested on the sides of Wipolo's neck.

"It's better when you make it. Please? My feet hurt. My socks are too tight again."

Jinn exhaled loudly and wrapped her arms around Wipolo. "I'll be there in a minute."

"I'm so thirsty." Unagora whined. 

Wipolo smiled as Jinn slowly rebuttoned his shirt. "When will you be back at Ajan Kloss?"

"Tonight. I’m on the afternoon shuttle."

"Can I come see you tonight on base?" She whispered. "We seem to have a real emergency here that must be dealt with immediately. I'm afraid that once his tea is made, he'll remember that he needs me to peel an orange for him. This is how I've been spending my afternoons."

"It sounds like things at The Black Spires Medical Crisis Center may have slowed down a bit."

"Indeed."

He paused to kiss her cheeks and her chin. Their foreheads rested together for a moment. 

  
“I liked your island.” She whispered softly. “Thank you for showing me.”

”The island would like you too.” Wipolo spoke softy. Forcing himself to leave Examining Room 4.

As he left, he was consumed in equal parts by soaring joy from his intimate moment with Jinn and panicky disbelief at his massive blunder of allowing his control over his Force to waiver.

Wipolo was so distracted that he didn’t notice the older man sitting in the lobby of the medical center.

He was filling out his own paperwork. Homeworld: Serenno, Height: 6’5, Occupation: none, unless you counted hunting for his family.


	37. Life Day Death Day

LOCATION: Ajan Kloss Base

Wipolo arrived back on Ajan Kloss in the early evening. The sun had just set and the sky was brilliant with orange and pink clouds. 

⇄

New solar lanterns hung from low branches, casting the courtyard in a soft glow. As he exited the chartered shuttle, he was alarmed to see a heavily armored carrier on the landing strip. Even stranger was the number of figures in the distance. He was relieved to spot Ben and Harry, by their height. As he got closer, he saw Poe and Rey, all hovering around Sola.  
  


“What’s going on? What’s wrong?” 

Sola was sniffling, tears running down her delicate face.

Ben caught his eye. “Are _you_ ok? Harry said you were delayed.”

He nodded. He met Ben’s worried eyes, pausing a moment to appreciate how odd it was to consider the Former Supreme Leader as a close friend. “Everything is OK.” Wipolo looked past Ben at Sola.

“Um, we’re not 100% sure what’s up.” 

Out of the shadows, Jinn appeared. She had changed out of her usual scrubs and wore a soft black tunic dress that grazed the ground. By the light of the lanterns, her pale skin glowed. Wipolo was awestruck by her beauty, the planes of her cheeks, the curves of her lips, her one slightly crooked eyebrow that gave her the look of perpetual skepticism. Her elation at seeing Wipolo turned to worry as she glanced at Sola.  
  


“Poor Momma.” Sola whimpered.

“Oh dear gods! I forgot what day it was! Poor dear.”

“What’s wrong with her? She started crying this morning and I don’t understand what’s wrong.” Poe’s arm was firmly around Sola’s shoulder. “She said her mother died today but I don’t understand. The ship sailed a _long_ time ago, right?”

“It’s the anniversary of the day my mother died.” Jinn explained. “Our Mother is with Luke and Leia tonight. Her Death Day is their Birthday.”

Wipolo watched his brother Harry stand up straighter hearing Leia’s name. 

Jinn pressed her lips together, trying to control her emotions. “This started last year. Sola freaked out on her own birthday. She turned 28, one year older than our Mother ever got to be.” 

  
Sola started to sob. “It’s sooo not fair.”

Jinn slid in beside her sister, gently tucking Sola’s light pink hair behind her ears. “Honestly, we had no idea she had this range of emotions. She almost never cried when we were little. It was kind of scary. She’d get hit in the face by a ball and it’d have absolutely no effect.” 

“Oh Sola honey.” Poe cooed, kissing her forehead. “Don’t be so sad.”

Jinn smiled guiltily. “I kind of like seeing my little _Decapitator_ like this. She and Starlings have, like, zero emotions.”

“I have emotions.” Starling stated coolly as she materialized behind them. Swans and Qui Gon were behind her, carrying glasses and two bottles of Corellian whiskey. 

“We had to drink her to sleep last year.” Swans explained, her own eyes running over with tears. “There’s really no consoling her once she’s like this.”

Qui Gon sized up Sola thoughtfully. “Half a teacup ought to do it.” 

“It’s so-so sad. Momma never even got to h-hold her babies.” Sola whimpered. “She loved them so much. Even though L-Luke is such a f-fucking jerk.” 

Jinn pressed her lips together, her eyes filling with tears as she watched her sister. She smiled at Poe as he kissed Sola’s hand. 

Wipolo squeezed onto the couch beside Jinn. 

She mouthed the words. ‘I miss you.’

He shook his head slightly, dazzled by her. ‘I missed you too.” He whispered, taking her hand, kissing it softly. “Do you want to go somewhere?” 

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to be here.”

“There’s nowhere in the galaxy I’d rather be.”

⇄

Much later, after everyone had fallen asleep, Leia slipped into bed beside Harry. 

“Happy birthday.” He whispered, sliding a tiny box over to her.

“Harry, how did you know it was my birthday?”

“What is this, amateur hour? It’s in every single book written about you.”

“I’m dead, birthdays don’t matter anymore.” She glanced up at him through her lashes as she untied the ribbon. 

“Your birthday matters to me. How old are you this year?”

“A million.”

He smiled happily. “Here’s to a million more.”

She held up a bracelet made of four mammoth deep blue gemstones and a small white glowing raw stone. “It’s beautiful. What are they?”

“Corellian sapphires. The tiny one is an Ankarres Sapphire - the same as what’s in my lightsaber.”

“My gods.” Leia blushed deeply, knowing the astronomical price of the Ankarres stone. The significance of it being a match for his lightsaber moved her beyond words. “How did you know I liked big jewelry?”

“I _have_ been staring at pictures of you for years.”

“How is it that you can manage to say things like that without sounding creepy?” 

“You’re a princess, big jewelry goes with the territory.”

“It’s too much.” She protested half heartedly as he slipped it onto her arm.

He swiftly pinned her on her back, holding her hands. “I don’t give a shit about money and that bracelet is _nothing_ compared to what I’m about to do to you. Now give me that ribbon.”

Leia grabbed it away. “It’s my birthday. I should get to choose what we do.” She looped the shiny ribbon around his neck

“What do you _want_ me to do?” Harry whispered so close to her ear that it made her giggle.

She grinned and handed the ribbon back to him. “Surprise me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn’t a real plot heavy chapter I just really wanted to write it because it made me happy.


	38. Date

Location: Ajan Kloss

Harry rolled out of bed with a grin. “Do you want to go on a date with me today?”

“A date?” Leia pressed her lips together, trying to suppress a grin. 

“I have to go to Yavin 4 to fill out some material requests and approve labor quotes.”

“Seriously? Can’t you do that remotely?”

“Sola, I mean Poe wants it all offline. No digital trail.”

“Filing paperwork? Gosh, that sounds _so_ romantic.” 

“I’ll buy you a crummy hot chocolate?”

“Oh well, that changes everything.” Leia laughed. He loved her laugh. Low and smoky. A contrast with her delicate features. 

⇆

Leia frowned up at the heavily armed transport. “This whole thing is just for us?” She caught Harry’s eyes as he looked away. “Oh wait. This is for you? Oh my gods. For your safety?”

He half smiled. “I’m gonna go with the answer: for my security. We - Wipolo and I went off grid last week. Poe wasn’t into that.”

“Wipolo was in Black Spires with Jinn.”

“Well, not the whole time.”

“And I’m guessing you don’t want to tell me where else you went?”

“I’d rather tell you that I noticed you’re not wearing a bra today.”

Leia allowed Harry to steer her onto the hulking transport. It was funny to think that the security measures were for Harry, an engineer, and not for the former commander of The Resistance.

⇆

Leia smiled as the pilot’s voice came over the intercom, reminding Harry to remain seated for the duration of the flight.

“Whatever shall we do for the next hour?” Harry began kissing her neck slowly

“They probably have security cameras.”

“Yes, I’m well aware. Your breasts are extraordinary.”

Leia swatted his hands off her chest playfully. His long arms wrapped around her and she let herself to be lulled to sleep by the hum of the engines. 

⇆

Location: Yavin 4

Leia couldn’t contain her joy as they stepped off the transport freighter. She held her hand over her mouth to fight back a sob.The Resistance had a real fleet! 

It wasn’t just a collection of patched together ships. They wandered past three massive hangers full of repainted First Order ships. She couldn’t get over the sight of row upon row of repainted tie fighters with the orange Resistance Logo covering each hexagonal wing. Harry pulled her into a hug when she finally broke down seeing a Star Destroyer being repainted with a huge Resistance Logo.

Leia sniffled into Harry’s shoulder. “It’s finally gonna be OK?”

He kissed as her forehead as her lips trembled with emotion. “It’s gonna be OK.”

⇆  
  


“Are you sure no one recognizes me?”

Starlings had helped Leia curl her hair loosely so it fell in waves over her shoulders. She’d borrowed a shapeless black dress from Sola and motorcycle boots from Swans. 

She had chose to appear as a 19 year old version of herself. It was the time her life had made the most sense. She had felt whole and centered. Before the destruction of Alderaan. Before, she thought sadly, she had met her husband and her sense of self went down in flames.

Leia let Harry hold her hand as they strolled unnoticed through the crowded hallways. Holding hands had always seemed dorky to her but Harry held onto her tightly.

He kissed her hand repeatedly and she noticed that he searched for their image on every reflective surface. His face lit up with a wide smile at the sight of them together. 

⇆

They avoided the private wing with her former office as Harry arranged for materials deliveries and signed a collection of contracts for the engineers who would assist him on and off site. 

As they walked through the open cafeteria, a reedy voice called out to them.

“Oh my gods, it’s really you!” 

Leia’s heart skipped a beat at the thought of being recognized. She whirled around in time to see a young woman kiss Harry squarely on the lips. “How long are you here?”

“I’m not sure. A couple hours”

She held out her hand to Leia. “I’m Elise.”

“I’m Harry’s friend.” Leia answered simply.

Elise looked pointedly at their entwined hands. “You and your _friend_ should stop by tonight. We’re having a _get together_.”

The woman seemed to sashay as she walked away. 

Harry pressed his lips together. “Sorry about that.”

“What was that all about?”

“I - um used to live with her.”

“That was your girlfriend?”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“So, is that your way of saying you used to have sex with her?”

“Her and her boyfriend. It was kind of a group thing.”

Leia opened her mouth to respond but couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Do you, um, want to go to their party with me?” Harry asked softly.

“Us?” 

“There'll probably be a lot of people, not just them.”

“Is that what _you_ want?”

“Not without you.”

“Just so we’re on the same page, this is some sort of sex party?”

He nodded.

Leia was flabbergasted. She knew Harry was bisexual and had dated a lot but she hadn’t known that he had been in a polyamorous relationship. “How - how many couples, I mean, groups have you been part of?” 

Harry shrugged. “Maybe like 10.”

“10?!” She sunk down into the nearest chair. Leia stared up at Harry, trying to process the new information. “Is that what you’re into?”

“It was easier than trying to be with a single person. But I don’t miss it, if that’s what you’re asking.”

It hit her like a ton of bricks: she was an old lady dating a young, sexually adventurous young man. While she was reading intelligence reports and enjoying long evening strolls, he had been sticking his dick in everything that moved. “Maybe I should go to this party. Just to see what your life was like.” 

Harry’s posture stiffed a bit. He went back to his paperwork with a shrug.

Leia couldn’t stop herself from spiraling into doubt. If sexual adventure was what Harry wanted in life, it would be good to know it now before she let herself get attached to him. She stared angrily at the bracelet he’d given her. Emotions and sex didn’t separate easily for her but she would need to adapt. She might not need to give their relationship up entirely but she needed to reign in her emotions. 

She had let herself start to care about him which was miscalculation. It was time to regain some emotional distance. He was too easy to bond with, too lovable, too interesting. She had allowed herself to get comfortable, she had let herself care. Watching him screw someone else would certainly do the trick.

⇆

“Are you sure about this?” Harry’s voice was gentle as he slowly opened the door to Elise and Issac’s room.

“Oh absolutely.” Leia arranged her face into a steady, unbreakable smile. 

⇆

_So this was what was happening on base while she’d been asleep!_

Leia fumed as she sat on a desk near the door counting bodies. There were 20 people, including them. Her brain faltered trying to take in the sight of so much sex. Elise, the young woman who had invited them was on her knees, moaning loudly as she struggled to unbuckle a man’s belt. Her hands flailed as another man crouched behind her, hands gripping her breasts roughly as he thrust into her. On the bottom of a bunk, a young woman with long braids lay with her legs splayed as a woman with face tattoos dove between her thighs. The upper bunk shook as man recorded a twi’lek female as she slowly rode his cock.  
  


Leia slowly met Harry’s eyes. He was watching her reactions closely. 

She couldn’t help looking at the couples closest to them and then back to Harry. “What do you think would happen if I transformed into my real age?” She whispered over the moans and grunts of the crowd.

“I think I’d have a very hard time keeping all these people’s hands off you.”

Across the room, an older man was staring at them intently. Harry leaned down next to Leia’s ear, his breath tickled her ear.

“I don’t want anyone else to touch you.” 

She didn’t look away from his eyes. “I don’t want anyone else to touch you either.”

He stepped between her legs, grabbing her waist. “But I don’t mind if they watch.”

“Harry!” She giggled. His wide hands held her in place. “You aren’t serious are you?”

His eyes held hers and he pulled up her skirt and smoothly slid off her underwear. Her eyes darted around at the scene around them as he unbuckled his pants. 

“Leia, do you want to leave?”

“I’m not intimidated by this.”

“I didn’t ask if you were scared, I asked if you wanted to leave.”

She locked eyes with him. “Not necessarily.”

“Do you want me to stop? Say the word and I’ll stop.”

She shook her head.

“Will you take me?” Harry’s voice was low and steady.

She bit her lip. “Why do you always say such weird romantic things?”

He whispered as he rubbed his cock against her extremely wet cunt. “Will you take me?” His sincerity was more shocking than the orgy around her. “Take me inside you. Please?”

“I will.” She gripped his hips and pulled him toward her.

She smiled up at him. He pushed her back down on the desk and pulled her knees up, sinking into her even further.

“It’s just us.” He said. His voice was lower than usual as he thrust into her. 

“Just us.” She repeated and ran her hands through his hair. His hands held her face as he kissed her. Deeper and deeper until she lost control, grasping and twisting the skin on his shoulders. His lips devoured her neck sloppily, her orgasm pushing him over the edge. Even with everything going on around them, he couldn’t look away from her eyes as he came.  
  


⇆

They were back on the armed transport. Leia rested her head against Harry’s shoulder. “Do you miss that?”

“Base?”

“Harry! I’m taking about group sex.”

He’d known but he liked seeing her blush. The way her lips pursed at the same time as her eyes flashed. He held her face carefully in his hands, kissing her softly. “I’ve never come at one of those parties. I always had to jerk myself off. I came because I was with you.”

“I don’t understand. Why would you go to one of those parties if you couldn’t come?”

“Optimism, I guess. It was something to do.”

“Some people like to do puzzles or watch movies.”

  
⇆

They sat in silence. 

“I’m in love with you.” Harry said softly.

“No you’re not.”

Harry looked crushed. 

Leia smiled up at him kindly. “You’re 29, I’m 54. I’m dead and you’re alive. This can’t work.”

Harry’s voice sounded distant. “You care about me. I know you do.”

“You sound like a crazy person.” She used The Force to change herself into the age of her death. She stared at him waiting for his expression to change. “You don’t love me. You love the idea of me.”

He didn’t react to her shift in age. “I’m an adult and I don’t grant you permission to tell me how to feel.”

“Harry-“

“I _was_ in love with the idea of you. You’ve done so much for so many people. You inspire people and you give them hope. You inspired me to be brave.” He kissed her hand. “And now it’s so much more. I’m in awe of your past but I love spending time with you. You’re funny and sexy and smart.” He kissed her between her eyes softly. “You make me feel safe.”

“From all those people who want to fuck you? Am I your sexual addiction recovery plan?”

“I wasn’t a sex addict.” Harry’s voice turned cold.

“Then what the hell were you doing going to parties like that?”

“What else was I supposed to do?”

“Have a gorgeous girlfriend. Or boyfriend. Fuck one person at a time!” Leia couldn’t keep herself from yelling. She didn’t care if the pilot overheard them.

“And wipe their memory every time I get a call from my mom or my brothers? Lie to them about the fucking voices in my head and the visions. Lie about my name, my abilities? Pretend to be happy?”

“You could be happy.”

“Happy about being such a good liar?” 

“I don’t know?!!”

“You’re upset because I’ve fucked around. You think I’m gross. I get it. It’s ok. I know it was different when it was an abstraction. Seeing it for real-“

Leia interrupted. “Harry - it was so - so animalistic. I mean, we were part of it but - “ Words failed her. 

“I don’t want _that_ anymore.”

“But you _must_ have wanted it. That’s why you gravitated toward it.”

“Yeah. I guess I did. It was like a drug and I used it because I was so incredibly lonely and desperate for any kind of connection. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, even to me.” He sighed heavily. “You deserve better.” 

“That’s not how relationships work. It’s about what kind of life you want.” She stared into his eyes. “What do you want, Harry?”

He stared out the window. “I know what kind of life I don’t want. My father has had his mind wiped so many times, he has trouble remembering his own birthday. He has no idea who my mother is or why we have to move every 5 years.” He turned to face Leia. “When I graduated high school, I had to personally wipe each one of my friends memories of me. My high school girlfriend has no memory of me and we lost our virginity to each other. I don’t even get to share that memory with anyone. I stopped making friends because it was pointless. I’ve had to be invisible for so long I feel like I’m pointless.”

Leia touched his forehead softly. “Have you wiped my mind?”

Harry laughed sadly. “Your highness, I couldn’t if I tried. You’ve got a pretty unbreakable Force.” 

She inhaled slowly and shifted her appearance to her younger self. Being old was no longer comfortable. “Your siblings hide like this too?”

He nodded.

“And I’m safe to be with because I’m dead?”

“And also because you’re strong and scary as hell. You're an incredibly powerful Force User. You could protect yourself if you needed to. I can’t protect anyone besides myself. Not even my family. No one.”

“And I don’t need your protection?”

“Even if you weren’t dead, I think you could take care of yourself." He shuddered. "Leia, I don’t want to feel helpless and invisible anymore.”

“I’m not any good at relationships.” My son, my husband-“ Her voice shook as she stumbled over the words. “I drove them away.”

“That wasn’t you. I met Han. I saw you two together. You were there, completely present. He had one foot out the door.”

Leia shifted uncomfortably. “He wanted to be different. He tried. I could see it - he was a jerk and then it’d shift for a moment and I’d see a look of love.”

“I want to be here with you. There’s nowhere else I want to be.”

“That’s what they all say in the beginning.” She countered. 

He sighed and pulled her into his arms. “Will you please let me love you?”

⇆

Location: Ajan Kloss

Later that night, Leia woke up alone. Harry was at the other end of the sleeping quarters. He was working out the math for the deflector trajectory on a chalkboard. He was shirtless, wearing headphones. 

She tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

“What are you listening to?” She pulled one side of the headphones away from his ears. It was silent.

Harry smiled absentmindedly. “Bad habit - I always wore them in college. I could pretend like I was listening to music so no one would talk to me. But I could still hear everyone’s conversations so I wouldn’t feel lonely.”

“Why didn’t you just talk to people if you were lonely?”

“People were safer if they didn’t get to know me.”

She stepped back and let the weight of his statement sink in. She suddenly understood him. She could picture him as a lonely college student, trying hard to dodge relationships he craved. So extraordinary but needing to be invisible. His loneliness stirred her soul. 

“Come back to bed.”

He took off his headphones. “What?”

“Come back to bed, Harry. I think I might have just fallen in love with you.”

There was no time for tender undressing, She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a deep kiss. Harry drug her down into the nearby bed. He stepped out of his boxers and pulled her nightgown up to her breasts. 

“Can I be in love with you?” Harry whispered. 

“Yes.”

“Say it.”

“You can love me.”

He filled her to the hilt in a one powerful stroke, leaving her gasping for breath. She floundered for control, her hands gripping his shoulders.

“I love you. I love you.”

He pulled out slowly. His breath shuddering, chest heaving. “Is it too much? I can slow down.”

“Please - please don’t stop.” 

Harry picked up speed again, pounding into her as hard and fast as he could. Leia felt an overwhelming wave rush over her as she came, space and time cease to exist. Her body felt boneless as he continued to slam into her. She stared into his face and realized the astonishing look of love on his face had always been there. 

She wrapped her arms around his back and whispered into his ear. “I love you, Harry.”

His entire body shook, a strangled sound erupted from his throat as he came. 

He kissed her slowly. “Happiest I’ve ever been.”

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the longest chapter I’ve ever written. I’ve had it on the back burner forever. I am interested in the idea of Leia not being able to entirely leave the Resistance behind. 
> 
> It was fun to think about being irritated by the thought of her soldiers having sex parties behind her back. I liked the idea of the pair being surrounded by other partners but finding that they only wanted each other.
> 
> I love the dynamic between Harry and Leia. She slowly realizes he’s more than just an awestruck fan of the great General Leia Organa. His love for her grew out of lifetime of self imposed loneliness. 
> 
> Even if I never write another word, I'll always be in love with this chapter.


	39. The Other Brother

LOCATION: Ajan Kloss

Rey startled Harry while he was wiring one of the many small satellites that would be part of the planetary shield. He had never seen her in a state of disarray before. Even around bedtime, her hair was always combed, her clothing neatly arranged. This morning, she stood before him in one of Ben’s tunics, her hair was sticking out at odd angles. 

“Do you want some tea?”

Rey chewed on her lip. “I had a dream about my Mother.”

Harry nodded calmly and poured her a cup of tea, adding plenty of the soy milk she liked. She stared at the mug strangely so he gently put her hand around it. Trying to seem nonchalant, he looked over his shoulder hoping to see Ben or Wipolo. Or anyone. 

“Bad dream or good dream?” He forced a cheerful tone. _Where the fuck was Wipolo?_

She followed his gaze. “Ben is in the Netherworld of the Force with Qui Gon. And your brother is there - just out of the fresher.”

They both turned to stare at Wipolo who approached them with a smile that quickly faded.   
  
⇆

Rey watched with her usual dismay as the brothers jammed themselves into a single chair. Even though there were other mugs on hand, they shared a single cup. “Um, I wanted to ask if you could talk to your brother for me? You said - you said he might know or knew about my Mother. And - and my sister?”

Harry nodded. “He knows some. But not a lot.” 

Rey’s lips trembled. “How-how does he know about her? Did he meet her?”

Wipolo shook his head. “It’s hard to explain but our brother can sometimes view other people’s memories.”

“Whose memories?”

“Our Grandfather’s.” Harry said softly.

Wipolo’s posture stiffened. “This ability hasn’t always been a good thing for my brother.”

As usually happened, when they were talking about Saffin, a call from him came through on Wipolo’s datapad. He set the screen on the table and steered Rey so she sat next to them.

The connection flickered and sputtered. The encrypted black market device’s connection was glitchy, at best. After a moment, a figure appeared on the screen. Rey couldn’t help but smile at the handsome man who waved at her from the screen. Saffin was far paler than either of his brothers and had shoulder length hair and stubble that defined his high cheekbones. Though she had been warned on multiple occasions that Saffin suffered instability, his expression was genuine and open. His dark, intelligent eyes locked with Rey’s and she found herself instantly at ease. 

Harry looked at Wipolo with a slight smile. He was always pleased when someone could recognize his oldest brother’s innate kindness.

“Saf, this is Rey.”

Saffin ran his hand through his long hair. “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you that your sister is gone.”

“She’s dead?”

“Pretty much?” 

Rey’s eye twitched and the solar lights above them flickered as her Force rolled in contorted waves around her. The birds in the trees above silenced. Harry winced, gripping his ear in pain as the air shifted around them. Wipolo shuddered and tried to focus his breathing.

“She’s in carbonite.” Saffin continued. “I don’t know if there’s much left of her anymore.”

“What- what do you mean?”

Saffin shifted his gaze. “She was the _one_. Of the two of you, she was the stronger one. Our Grandfather helped your parents hide you on Jakuu but _he_ \- I mean the Count, volunteered to take care of your sister.”

“No.” Rey’s voice was barely audible. “No.”

“Her name was Ulie.”

“I can’t -” Rey reached out and turned off the data pad. She sat frozen in place. “I’m going to be sick.”

Wipolo stared at her in alarm. He tried to put a hand on her shoulder but she turned to glare at him. “Don’t.”

She walked into her quarters and fainted.


	40. The Customer

Dooku held his lightsaber to the bounty hunter’s neck. He had determined that she was right handed so he had generously decided that her left hand would be the first thing to go.

“I will try again. What do you know of this report of a Kenobi girl on Coruscant?”

“Sir, I told you I don’t know this person.”

Dooku sliced off a lock of the bounty hunter’s hair, right to the scalp. She trembled as the soft blond hair drifted to the ground. Dooku frowned as the snowy fluff drifted near the toe of his immaculately shined boot. _Over processed. She could use a shine sealing treatment or at least a deep conditioner._

“I have it on good authority that this _Wans Kenobi_ individual is teaching Aturi lessons at the House of Vahali, for gods sake!”

“The Jedi Order is no more sir. Teaching lightsaber forms is a novelty. A - an amusement for wealthy children.” 

Dooku sighed heavily. He was already late for his beloved enzyme emersion treatment. He could practically feel the meiloorun enzyme jelly squish between his toes. He’d follow up with some time in the tone enhancing spray booth. He had a public appearance in two days and he liked to allow the tan to fade a bit so it looked more natural. 

He adjusted the bounty hunter’s restraints so he could slice off her hand without nicking the nearby marble top table. Blood spray was such an inconvenience.

“Wait - wait! Wans? Do - do you mean Swans? Could it be Swans?“

“I haven’t the foggiest.” The Count rolled his eyes in irritation. 

The bounty hunter locked eyes with him, she was desperate to engage him. “There - there is a woman or perhaps entity named Swans who ‘recruits’ for The Resistance. I thought it was just a story people told. I didn’t even know she was a real person.”

 _Swans Kenobi. Swans Kenobi_. Dooku whispered to himself, allowing the words to roll around in his mouth. _It was a truly ridiculous name._ He considered for a moment if Obi-Wan would give his offspring such a foolish name.

“Some pilots have - I’ve heard, some pilots have a tattoo of a swan because their whole squadron was recruited by her.”

“So you do know something useful, after all.”

“Please. Please. Give me a week. I’ll find out what I can.”

“You’ll find out all there is to know.“

“Yes. Yes. I’ll find everything. I’ll find her.“

“You haven’t had much luck pinning down the locations of the other Kenobi women.”

”Sir, they don’t live anywhere.”  
  


Dooku snapped. He simply couldn’t believe the bounty hunter was stupid enough to repeat the phrase that had made him restrain her in the first place. “I told you that sentence displeased me and yet you dare to repeat it.” He set down his lightsaber slowly. His fingers lit up with Force Lightning. “Let this be an informative lesson in customer service. Once a customer has sent back a dish, don’t try to serve to them again.” He shot her with Force Lightning until she screamed in agony. Slight steam rose from her skin. He shot her again, longer this time. He smiled to himself as the front of her pants darkened with urine. _Pain could be such a useful learning experience._  
  


He nodded to her curtly as she slumped against her restraints. “A servant will be along to see you out shortly. I will be in touch”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have fun writing Dooku as a bit vain, despite his advanced intelligence. I hope it comes off OK.


	41. This wasn’t about him

**Location: Ajan Kloss**

Rey woke in Ben’s arms. Ben was reaching through the Force, screaming for Jinn to come help him even as he gently cradled Rey like a child, kissing her forehead. 

“My sweet love, my sweet love…” He murmured.

Jinn appeared just in time to swat away his hand before he touched Rey’s forehead. “Don’t try to heal her, you idiot. She’s had emotional trauma, not a brain injury!”

"She fainted. She's not OK." His voice shook with emotion. 

"She's OK, the baby is OK. But do not try to heal somebody until I've trained you. It's sweet that you want to try but you're liable to blind her." 

Ben gripped her tighter. “Why the _fuck_ don’t we have any real medical equipment here?” He snarled at no one in particular.   
  


⇆  
  


Rey’s world came drifting back into focus. _Ajan Kloss, her past, Ben, pregnancy, her sister in carbonite..._ She searched the room for where Wipolo and Harry stood, near the door. Without meaning to, her Force drug them closer to her bedside. Their toes scraped against the ground.

She locked eyes with Wipolo. “I need to talk to your brother more. Can you please call him back?”

Wipolo frowned. “‘Maybe?”

“Not _maybe,_ just do it.” Ben commanded. “Call him!”

“Back the _fuck_ off, Solo. You can’t just knock on Saffin’s head like it’s a safety deposit box.” Harry hissed. “This isn’t like some sort of pleasant vision for him, he doesn’t enjoy reliving our Grandfather’s memory of freezing a child in Carbonite.”

Wipolo elbowed him. “We _could_ ask him?”

“No! Saffin is a _father_. Violence against children is extremely hard for him to talk about!”

Wipolo's neck whirled around to stare at Harry in disbelief. “My gods Harry, they didn’t need to know about our nephew! Why do you keep telling them every single thing you know?”

“Me?!!” Harry snarled. “ _You’re_ the one who told them about our Grandfather! You’re the one who told them about Ahsoka! You ruined _everything_ for _everyone_.”

“They would have figured it out from you. Eventually.” Wipolo said unconvincingly. 

“No, they wouldn’t.” Harry’s voice was low and angry. “I’m just a regular engineer guy who fucks around. No one ever looks at me and wonders if there’s anything ‘mystical’ going on. I’m a slimeball with zero depth and that’s it. There’s nothing more to me.”  
  


Wipolo’s eyes burned in the face of Harry’s smoldering rage. 

Harry’s even features clouded. “I have never once slipped up but _you_ meet Jinn and you instantly confess everything Mom has fought to keep a secret all these years.”

Wipolo stared back at his brother and forced himself not to respond. He knew better. This wasn’t about _him._ Harry resented Saffin but didn’t know how to lash out at him. For years, Saffin had destroyed his mental health on behalf of their family and neither brother knew how to stop him or repay him. Harry hated that he had to be protective of his older brother, hated that the older brother he idolized needed anyone’s help. More than anything, Harry hated feeling like there was no possible way to help Saffin.

Rey struggled out of Ben’s embrace. She sat up and stared into Wipolo’s eyes, her lips set in a tight determined line. “We need you.” She turned to Harry. “We need both of you.”

Harry nodded, still angry. “OK but leave Saffin out of it. He’ll help if he can. If you push my brother, either of my brothers, I promise that you’ll never see us again.”

Wipolo followed Harry out of Rey’s quarters. “You can’t answer like that for the both of us.”

“Just fucking try me. I’ll tell Mom and she’ll freeze _you_ in carbonite.”

“That’s not really funny.” Wipolo cautioned.

“It wasn’t meant to be.” 

Wipolo grabbed a protein bar, studying it uncomfortably. “Why do you think he lied to her?”

“About carbonite?” Harry shrugged. “I don’t know but he must have his reasons. It must seem nicer than the truth.”

“It isn’t like him to lie.”

  
  


Wipolo slid into one of the comfortable courtyard chairs. “I’m sorry I’ve made things weird for us.”

Harry turned away, ashamed of himself for unloading on his younger brother. “It’ll be OK.”

“It isn’t all bad, right? I mean, you get to spend time with Leia?”

Harry’s lips twitched, unable to hold back a smile. “She said she loves me. Can you believe it? _She_ loves _me_.” He swallowed hard. “She loves _me_.”

“And you love _her_?” 

“Duh.” 


	42. Incorrupt

LOCATION: Theed Cemetery, Naboo

Dooku sat at a stone table surrounded by graves. He focused his Force energy, projecting his mantra outward toward his heirs. His fingertips touched, curling instinctively into a meditation pose. 

The words thundered in his mind, pushed out into the galaxy. His meditation practice served as a daily reminder to his heirs that he would never give up until he found them. Wherever they hid themselves away, they would never truly escape his reach.

 **_All things must be leveled.  
_ ** **_As I honor her, I will honor you.  
_ ** **_As I protected her, I swear I will protect you._ **

**_All things must be leveled.  
_ ** **_As I honor her, I will honor you.  
_ ** **_As I protected her, I swear I will protect you._ ** **_  
  
_ ** **_All things must be leveled -_ ** **_  
  
_ **

“Sir - sir?” A strange voice interrupted his prayer. A sharply tailored man in a dark suit approached Dooku. His nametag read Caretaker Volg. “Are you here for the Hallowed Tombs of Our Queens Tour?”

“Yes. I am most eager to visit the mausoleum of your esteemed Queen Padme Amidala,” Dooku spoke reverently. “She was a friend of the family.”

The caretaker pointed at the sign on the wall. “The prices for the Queen’s Tour are listed. You may select a _private_ tour or, if you’d like, you may want to wait for the _public_ tour which starts after lunch.

Dooku fixed him with a look of pure loathing and placed a banknote on the table.

“Oh, sir we don’t take banknotes. Just Imperial Credits or Calamari Flan.”

The Count placed a pile of Flan on the table. “I hope this covers a private tour.”

“Would you care to purchase flowers? All proceeds toward Theed’s free burial services. This is a _public_ cemetery, after all.”

“I just gave you 350 Flan for a 30 credit tour.” Dooku snapped.

“Yes and I thank you for your donation.”

“I would very much like to visit Amidala’s tomb alone. Now.”

“Oh, I’m afraid that’s not possible.” 

Dooku’s posture stiffened. “Did I _not_ just pay you for a private tour?

“You paid for a private tour, led by yours truly, and you made a donation which was greatly appreciated.”

He’d reached his limit. His arm arced in front of Caretaker Volg’s face. “You _will_ take me to Queen Amidala’s tomb.”

Caretaker Volg stood up, robotically. “I will take you to Amidala’s tomb.”  
  
⇆

 _Amidala’s mausoleum was lovely,_ Dooku thought. He greatly admired the restraint of the statuary. Behind her raised stone sarcophagus, a stained glass window in shades of blue showered the quiet space in radiant light. It was perfect. Serene. Beautiful. 

Dooku paused for a moment, he stroked the top of her coffin. The pale marble was cool to the touch. He had come to Naboo wanting to see Padme’s corpse for himself. Up until this very moment, he wanted history to hold true. If her body lay resting in this quiet cemetery, then all things remained the same. If the coffin was empty...

Everything he had known to be true had shifted when he had seen Obi-Wan. The Jedi was youthful and vibrant. He appeared to still be in the prime of his life, effortlessly vigorous. The existence of Kenobi children was another intriguing but troublesome layer to the mystery. Had history been mistaken about Padme’s death? Had she been frozen in carbonite or secreted away? Was there some sort of portal through time? Compared to other options, an interdimensional existence seems most plausible. 

He focused his Force and shifted the lid of the stone sarcophagus.

 _Padme was still so pretty._ Her corpse had mummified after 50 years, dark and dried out like a husk. The graceful slopes of her face remained incorrupt. Dooku stroked her leathery cheek and let his fingers trace through her faded chestnut curls. If he had it all to do over again, he would have chosen her as his mate. She was elegant and loyal. Padme had produced two healthy children. Force Welders beyond compare. And now there was the question of these Kenobi girls who resembled her so closely. He wondered what sort of trickery Obi-Wan had carried out to sire children. Perhaps he had harvested her genetic material before her death. Her eggs? It was inconceivable to think of Kenobi sinking to such depths. 

He slid the top of the stone sarcophagus back into place. The grinding sound of stone on stone echoed.  
  
⇆  
  
Dooku had his own burial planned. He had constructed his gravesite to be both understated and monumental. He had standing instructions that one of the Jenza clones should be murdered within days of his demise so he would not be intombed alone. His future resting place was a graceful bowl carved into the ground at the foot of the Kaon mountains. It was in full view of his school and would make for a delightful weekly field trip of devotion for the children. He had started the landscaping two years ago so the grass could fill in nicely and the transplanted trees had a chance to grow to maturity.  
  
He figured he had 10-15 good years left. There might be 5 years beyond that with less than ideal conditions. If his heirs would not heed his call, it was time to alter his tactics. He would not leave his Utopia to wither on the vine without proper stewardship. He would have heirs.


	43. Graves

LOCATION: Theed Cemetery, Naboo

Since he was checking to make sure corpses were staying put, Dooku figured he might as well make a morning of it. He’d check off another item on his to-do list. It was time for an inspection of Rey’s family - best to ensure they were all still 6 feet under, where he’d left them.

Unlike Padme’s elegant mausoleum, Rey’s Grandmother had a modest grave. 

As the Emperor’s errand boy, Dooku had frequently gotten stuck tidying up bloodbaths. After decades of devoted service, Rey’s Grandmother had come between Palpatine and his Granddaughter. Granddaughters, Dooku reminded himself. Though she was cryogenically frozen in his own basement, Dooku often forgot about Uuli’s existence. She’d been so promising. What a shame.

Palpatine had murdered Laran, the mother of his child, savagely. There was no other word for it. The whole performance was pointless, torturing that poor woman for the location of her child. It had been needlessly brutal. Dooku had known where to find the Emperor’s child and granddaughters all along. He would have divulged their exact location if the Emperor hadn’t been so asinine about it. 

Palpatine had made a joke about how Dooku was unable to locate Jenza. So be it. If Dooku had to live without his family, the Emperor would endure the same fate. He’d helped the Emperor’s flesh and blood escape. He’d guarded over his grandchildren until Rey all but painted a target on her back.

It was perfect timing. Rey had reached the apex of power at just the right time. So precocious. It was poetic to watch her destroy her Grandfather just as he was offering his throne to her. Let someone else challenge that insufferable hag.

Dooku had watched with glee as the last true Sith was blown to smithereens. 

The Sith deserved their own destruction. 

Dooku had personally ferried the bodies of Rey’s grandmother and parents to Naboo. Palpatine had unceremoniously instructed him to incinerate the lot of them but Dooku had taken it upon himself to provide a proper burial. He didn’t know Rey’s father but he felt strongly that any mother should be honored. The two women had borne children. Healthy offspring. They had, to their credit, stood beside their mates. They had been killed horribly because of it and Dooku valued their loyalty.

The three were laid to rest together with a common headstone. It was white marble, nothing fancy but suitably dignified. Dooku had the tombstone simply engraved with the only word that mattered: Mother.  
⇆

The Naboo Graveyard was extensive but Dooku knew exactly when Rey’s family was buried. He rounded the path to see Beaumont Finn, a wiry man with narrow shoulders, using ground-penetrating radar near the graves.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Dooku roared.  
“Do you work here? Perhaps you can help me. I’m looking for the grave of a woman named Laran and her daughter Panlin.”  
“They’re three feet over to your left.  
“How do you know that?”  
“I dug the hole myself, you idiot. Professor Beaumont Finn, What gives you the right to tread upon these graves?”

The man stood up to his full height and straightened his thin shoulders. Beaumont tilted his head to the side. “How do you know my name?”  
The Count smiled. He never tired of wiping away memories. It would always be one of his greatest amusements in life.  
“Let me re-introduce myself. I am Count Dooku of Serrano.”  
“Count Dooku? How can you be so young?”  
Dooku inhaled slowly through his nose. This was exactly why he’d let the professor live last time they’d met. He liked the young man enough to entrust him with Sheev Palpatine's diary. Maybe the professor could be of use again.  
“Professor Kinn, there is a Gala on Naboo next week to celebrate the opening of the new Resistance Base. Since you work for The Resistance, is there any chance you’re planning to attend?”  
“Yes, my girlfriend and I have VIP tickets.”  
“You’ll be terminating your relationship with your girlfriend and taking me as your honored guest.”  
As Dooku’s hand wove in front of his face, Beaumont Finn’s eye glazed over.  
“I will be taking you as my guest.”  
“Well, I would be honored! Thank you for your kind invitation. I accept.” Dooku bowed playfully and felt a slight twinge in his back. He needed to get back into his yoga practice. Even a week off was murder on his back.

He patted Beaumont Finn on the shoulder. What a coincidence this fellow had something useful to offer, He wasn’t in the mood to dig another grave.


	44. Surrender

Location: Ajan Kloss

Rose stood in front of the cracked mirror in Ben’s quarters, pulling garments out of shopping bags in rapid succession.

“Your Aunts didn’t know what you liked so it looks like they bought one of everything and they all seem to be in shades of boring-ass, not quite black.” She examined a long sleeve shirt that fell to her knees. “Oh no! I think they forgot to order matching capes.” She turned to Ben in mock alarm. “How will anyone know it’s you?”

When Rose had unexpectedly flown into Ajan Kloss that morning, Ben had been thrilled to see her. Their friendship made him feel significant and her connection to The Resistance allowed him to feel like he was part of the organization that had been so important to his Mother. Rose loved to talk and Ben liked not having to be responsible for maintaining a conversation. He was better at listening. Rose updated him on the gossip about Poe and Sola, Kaydel Ko Connix, even Finn, who had settled on Kef Bir.

Her leisurely visit didn’t seem unusual. She often popped in for an hour after breakfast. But when she stayed for lunch, he had become suspicious. It wasn’t like her to miss work.

Rose held up a pair of pants. “These look too short. I think you should try them on before I -”

“OK.” Ben ripped off his shirt and pants without hesitation. Rose stood silently, gaping at his muscular body clad only in black boxers.

“Well, hello there,” she whispered. He tried on a dark gray shirt and drab olive pants.

“These look fine. Maybe this shirt is too tight.”

Rose swallowed loudly. The shirt was tight around his thick arms. “I think it will stretch. It would be a great idea to try them all on. I’ll go ahead and sit down.” She admired her friend’s wide chest, sprinkled with tiny moles.

Ben tore off the shirt and tried on three nearly identical loose linen tunics. He frowned as she handed him an olive green belted jacket and matching pants. “I can’t wear this. It’s an officer’s uniform. He pointed to the Resistance logo on the sleeve.”

Rose held it up to him. “Number 1: there’s no rank on it. Number 2: I know it’s going to make you look really wide but it’s not like we can justify flying in a tailor. And number 3: You have to wear something to this damn dedication ceremony on Naboo.”

“Wait - the one you’re going to in your ugly turtleneck dress?? I can’t go to that! It would be disrespectful to my Mother.”

“Oh, I have a compromise dress!” She pulled up a picture on her datapad of a red sleeveless dress with a loose cowl neck. “What do you think of it? It’s incredibly uncomfortable but it looks good, right?”

“Rose! I cannot attend the dedication of a Resistance Base named after my Mother on Naboo!”

“You can if we’re announcing your surrender to the world. You’re a defector. It’s extremely important we do this while the war is still ongoing. Lando is handling all the PR. He’s so good at all of this.”

  
“What am I supposed to say?”

  
“Ohhhh, you will not say a single word. Your history of public speaking is well documented and fairly terrifying.”

  
“I always wrote my own material.”

  
“Yes, I assumed you did. Simultaneously making my blood run cold and being boring as shit is definitely an underrated combination. It’s best if you stay away from making speeches forever. Forever.” She fluffed up his hair. “Lando is going to give the impression that Rey and Sola captured you.”

  
“How?”

“Um, Lando is going to imply that they subdued you. And you’ll sit in your wheelchair and stare straight ahead with that dead-eyes thing you do.”

  
“I don’t need a wheelchair anymore. I’m good with a cane.”

  
“And I don’t need a pushup bra but it does look better. It’s all about appearances.”

  
“I’d prefer Sola and Rey not be so visible. It seems like an unnecessary security risk.”

  
“Lando thinks this will make The Resistance seem scarier. You know, if Sola the Decapitator and Kylo Ren are working for us now.”

  
“Not sure if I follow that logic.”

  
“The general public seems to find Sola frightening and unhinged. And everybody hates you. Rey, the hero of the Resistance will be portrayed as keeping you both under control. Rey is the perfect magically strong, cute as a button Jedi.”

”Sola is a Jedi too,” Ben countered.

“Sola is off-brand for the Jedi Order.” Rose shrugged. “Those are Lando’s words, not mine. He’s sleeping with some Galactic News lady so he’s started talking like sociopath.”

Ben had known Lando Calrissian since he was an infant. “My Mother used to say, ‘Even if I don’t trust Lando’s motivation, I always trust he’ll get results.’”

“Lando is going to portray you as a vital defector. Good PR for us and you don’t get executed for war crimes. Win-win.”

  
Ben stared blankly at Rose, feeling unsteady. The thought of being in the public eye was unsettling. “Let’s see this new dress of yours. It looks lovely on you, by the way. What does that boyfriend of yours think?”

  
Rose met Ben’s eyes and froze. “Well, um. That’s the thing. He - he broke up with me.”

  
“What?! That’s impossible.”

  
“Beaumont sent me a message this morning. I went to bed with a boyfriend and woke up alone.” Her voice broke with emotion and she threw herself into Ben’s open arms.

  
“Wait a minute, he broke up with you?! You’re so much cuter than he is. This makes zero sense. Tell me exactly what he said.”

  
“He was doing some dumb research shit on Naboo. Something about graveyards. He rented ground penetrating radar to look for bodies which sounds super morbid.” Rose twisted her hair. “Then there was radio silence for days. I finally called him and he said to never contact him again. He said he’d met someone important and he was staying on Naboo. That motherfucker dumped me.”

  
Ben frowned. “I don’t accept this. There’s no one better than you. Maybe he’s had a head injury?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Rose + Ben is my favorite.


	45. Blue Color Scheme

Location: Black Spire Outpost, Batuu

Dooku entered the Black Spires Medical Crisis center for 4th time in a week. He looked around the clinic with disdain. _Still a pig sty_. There was no way someone as lovely as Jinn Kenobi should be working here.

Despite the hatred Dooku harbored for Obi-Wan, he still respected him. _Why the devil would he allow his exquisite daughter to toil away in this backwater dump?_ He ran a finger down the creamy yellow wall of the lobby. _Gloss finish? Sickening._

An elderly Blutopian hobbled over to him. “Hello again, sir.” 

Dooku nodded as he fought a losing battle against repulsion. A young Blutopian was hideous enough but a dusty, old one was downright repellant. 

“Is your stomach still bothering you?”

On his previous visits, Dooku had complained of various stomach ailments. He had only caught a fleeting glimpse at the lovely Jinn as she left for the day. He had tried to follow her discreetly but simply lost her. _He lost her._ Those words swayed back and forth in his mind. _He lost her, he lost her._ He’d followed her out the front door and had turned, for the briefest moment to check his own reflection and she was gone. It was positively maddening.

He didn’t want to give a Kenobi the upper hand, he needed the element of surprise. It wasn’t a matter of power, he knew overpowering her was a given. It was influence he craved. He wanted to chat with her and have a pleasant conversation. If he was being honest with himself, he wanted her to like him. It would be very helpful if she found him agreeable.

“Sir? I still have your chart from the other day, Mister Ukood, is that correct?” Unogra heaved himself into a seat. “May I ask if there is something troubling you? You’ve been here several times but you don’t seem unwell.”

“Oh - um.” Dooku was genuinely flustered. He had thought he’d wiped the mind of this crusty old beast. Perhaps Blutopians were immune. He’d never given the species much thought. 

“Are you having trouble at home? Perhaps a loved one or caregiver is mistreating you?”

“I told you it was my stomach!” Dooku lashed out, struggling to remain calm. He wanted to take a pair of tinstips to the monster’s facial tentacles, clip them off one by one. He wanted to let fall to the ground, grind his boot into them, hear the sound of the muscle tissue ripping and squishing into the horrendous laminated floor.

“Well all right then.” Unogra knew a fussy patient when he met one. “I’ll put you in examining room 4 this time. Perhaps the blue color scheme will sooth your nerves.”

⇆

Jinn pretended to study the menu at the coffee shop across the street from the Medical Crisis Center. Local crime boss, Oga Garra, owned every business along the neatly manicured cobblestone street. Though her name didn’t show up on any deeds, the entire neighborhood bore her influence: quaint, handpainted wooden signs, cheerful flower boxes and rosemary bushes. 

⇆

The coffee shop was quiet and Jinn stared out the window while the shy Darshi manning the counter slowly filled her order for three iced chocolate chai teas. Jinn had regretted the order the moment the words came out of her mouth. The waitress sighed heavily before sauntering into the back room, sputtering about the scarcity of chai.   
  
Jinn was officially resigning today and she was worried about Unogra’s reaction. She hoped the bad news would be softened a bit by bringing in Unogra’s favorite beverage. The office manager, Ferean, had suggested the plan to Jinn days ago, pointing out that there were unemployed medics returning from Imperial Servitude who needed the job more than Jinn did. There hadn’t been much to do at the clinic lately without the war’s steady flow of wounded combatants.

Jinn would miss working at the clinic. She had been there almost 3 years. Unogra and Ferean were like a second family to her and maintaining the patched together facility made her feel useful. Ben wanted her to join them on Ajan Kloss and the thought of spending her days working alongside Wipolo filled her with joy. 

This would be the time her Father had always predicted. It was finally the right time to rebuild the Jedi Order again. It would not be the same but it would evolve. Sharing the art of Force Healing would be her contribution to the Jedi Order. Wipolo would help shape the new temple with Rey and Ben. She smiled broadly, thinking of his wisdom and his humble spirit. He continued to do laundry for the base and help with Ben’s recovery while spending time discussing Force Influence with Qui Gon. He was unlike anyone she had ever met. She adored him. Her Father respected him and her sisters didn’t seem to hate him.

From across the street, she watched as Unogra flipped the sign in the window of the medical clinic from _closed_ to _open_. Jinn watched through the steamy window of the coffee shop could as the center lights turned on. She could see Ferean and Unogra fussing over the vase of flowers Jinn had brought in for the office. She frowned at the Darshi waitress who was staring at a row of unopened tea boxes, unsure how to proceed. 

  
⇆

Dooku stared daggers at Unogra, hoping the old fart would shuffle off and leave him alone. 

“What is the name of the doctor who will be seeing me _this_ time?”

“Why do you need to know?”

“Because I would like to know who I will be speaking to!”

“Watch your tone of voice young man.”

Dooku had to smile despite his irritation. No one had called him _young man_ in over a hundred years. His necklift had certainly worked out well. 

“She isn’t exactly a doctor.” Unogra straightened out the picture frame that hung on the wall. “But I hope you’ll find that she is quite competent.”

“Not a doctor?” Dooku pretended to be surprised. “A healer, perhaps?”

“Yes, yes. Something like that. She is quite an interesting young lady. Now if you’ll make yourself comfortable, she will be along shortly.”

When Unogra left the room, Dooku immediately began to search it top to bottom. There was nothing. No business cards, no pictures, not a decorative magnet or clunky coffee cup. Not one personal item. Except - Dooku stared in awe of the painting of the old Jedi temple on Coruscant. Jinn Kenobi must suffer under some serious delusions about the Order. It seemed almost sweet to think that a child of Obi-Wan Kenobi would harbor a sentimental attachment to the Temple where so many Jedi had been murdered. Dooku shuddered at the thought. _If he had lived, he would have put a halt to the massacre. Well, if he hadn’t been ‘officially’ murdered by his self-centered master. It would have been absolutely majestic to storm up the steps and shoot Anakin Skywalker in head right before he had a chance to murder all those useful children. What a shame._

He frowned noticing the stupid Blutopian had made the painting even more crooked when he had ‘straightened’ it. Shifting it slightly, he noticed a smear of blood behind it. _What was this?_ He lifted up the frame to see the words written in blood behind the painting. _I_ ♥ _Jinn_ had been drawn in neat letters. So, young Miss Kenobi had a suiter.   
  


⇆

“Hello?” Jinn entered the Medical Center carrying the iced chai teas and a bag full of muffins. She wasn’t sure they were chocolate iced chais. She wasn’t even positive they were chai. 

“Oh Jinny!” Unogra clapped his hands. “What a treat! You shouldn’t have!” He spun in a slow circle. 

“Are we having a busy morning?” Jinn sipped her drink and was relieved that it did, in fact, bear a resemblance to chocolate chai tea. She handed a cup to Ferean and watched his expression cloud over. “What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t expect you to be back so soon.” He whispered. “I - I gave your patient to the new medic we’re hiring. She stopped in today and I thought I’d let her see one of our pesky regulars.”

Jinn smiled reassuringly. “That’s OK. I don’t mind at all. Which patient is it?” 

“Uku or something or other. You should see this fellow, Jinny. He has some of the best plastic surgery I’ve ever seen. He’s older than Unogra but not a wrinkle to be seen! Like one of those holonet reporters with the tight cheeks.”

Jinn giggled as Ferean pulled back his tentacles sharply. 

They both turned as Unogra let out a low moan. 

“What’s wrong, what happened?”

“Oh, what a bother!” He had spilled his chai on the floor. 

“No, no, no! It’s OK, you can have mine. I insist!” She handed him her cup. He didn’t take it from her hand immediately, instead looking at her with a forlorn expression. “Could I have another please? This time with whipped cream?”

“Of course!” Jinn patted him on the shoulder and sighed. _That would take the waitress another decade._ _  
  
_

⇆  
  


Dooku stared at the Roonan female medic in irritation. _Four visits and no Kenobi_. 

“Sir, can you please unbutton your shirt so I can examine your stomach?”

“No, I certainly will not. Can you see if there is another medical professional available? I’d like a second opinion.”

“You’re complaining of stomach pain and I’d like to examine your stomach area. I can’t imagine any other clinician would proceed differently.”

“I’d like to see Miss Kenobi, please.”

The Roonan medic glanced at the chart in front of her. Unogra had scrawled a small note: _creepy man, keeps asking for Jinn_. “Sir, what is your interest in Miss Kenobi?”

Dooku touched the knife he kept in his pocket. Cutting this woman’s carotid artery would be satisfying but perhaps too messy. Even with gloss finish walls.


	46. Life Day

Location: Black Spire Outpost, Batuu

Unogra stopped Jinn in the break room. She was trying to braid her hair in the reflection of the computer terminal screen. 

“Can you check on the patient in room 4? I don’t know what’s taking Merta so long.” Unogra’s dry hands took over braiding her hair. He deftly pinned the crown braid into place and tilted her head from side to side, inspecting his work. “Very pretty.” he murmured.

Jinn smiled up at the old Batuun with gratitude. “Is Merta the new, uhhh -?”

“She’s the new medic that Ferean doesn’t want me to know what." Unogra's eyes twinkled as he spoke. "She was here yesterday but you’d already left for your big date with your tall, skinny soldier.”

“The date fell through but we spent time with my family together.”

Unogra’s tentacles quivered with delight. “Ohhh Jinny, it sounds like you’re getting serious.”

Jinn couldn’t suppress a grin. “He’s really wonderful. I’m seeing him again this afternoon.” And every day, she thought to herself. Forever and ever and ever and ever.

“Well, best to stay busy till then. After you see this patient, you can pick up sandwiches at Oga’s. I’m feeling a bit peckish.”

“Peckish? You just had breakfast. And you’re supposed to be watching your diet.” Jinn frowned and searched her lipstick in her purse. “What’s wrong with that patient?”

“Oh, he just has a stomach ache,” Unogra said as he reached into Jinn’s purse to swipe a pink crescent moon shaped mint. 

“So give him a charcoal tab and send him home.”

“FYI, he asked for you specifically.”

"Ew!"

That wasn’t a good sign. There was a steady rotation of repeat patients who invented ailments. She caught a glimpse of her scrubs, there was a stain running down her leg where she’d spilled Unogra’s tea. She’d have to go home before seeing Wipolo tonight. 

Jinn smelled her breath. “Blech. What did you do with the rest of my mints? Unogra? Unogra?” The elderly nurse had disappeared. 

She sighed and walked to examining room 4. 

The moment she crossed the threshold into the examining room, she knew she was sharing a room with a Sith. 

Dooku inhaled sharply as Jinn faced him. She was so extraordinarily lovely. The bounty hunter’s picture had not prepared him. Her high cheekbones and round lips gave her a strange, unworldly beauty. Dooku had always been completely unnerved by Padme’s overwhelming radiance. 

“Please, have a seat.” Jinn spoke evenly.

“Thank you.”

Jinn felt her blood run cold as she noticed blood in the sink of the examining room. His hands were covered in blood. 

He followed her gaze. “You’ll have to excuse my mess. Your soap dispenser was out. I haven’t used bar soap in years.”

Count Dooku didn’t sit on the examining table, instead choosing to lounge in the chair beside the window. Reflexively, Jinn’s eyes glanced to the painting of the Jedi Temple hanging on the wall. 

Dooku followed her gaze. “Are you an admirer of The Jedi Order?”

“Indeed, I am.” Jinn clicked her pen and purposefully studied the chart before her as though it contained anything that would help her. 

“Are you familiar with their history?”

“Are you?” She asked coolly. She struggled to control her thoughts. _Why hadn’t she asked Wipolo to teach her how to block her force?_ In her irritation with his strange ability, it hadn’t occurred to her how practical the skill was. Panic washed over her. _What if he discovered Wipolo’s blood hidden behind the picture?_ He could reach out and touch his grandson’s blood from where he sat. _Good gods, why hadn’t she washed it off?_

Dooku studied her behavior like an anthropologist. “I consider myself a bit of an expert on Jedi history.”

“How nice for you.” She kept her tone clinical.

He smiled in spite of himself. He could stare at her face for eternity. Like her mother, she was even prettier when she spoke, emotions playing across her features. 

“Our nurse said you were complaining of stomach irritation.” She forced herself to turn her back on him to reach into the medicine cabinet for charcoal tablets. Her nerves crackled as she watched him in the glass reflection. He rose slowly. She froze. _Would she have time to summon her sisters? Did she want to endanger them? No, she needed to disappear into the Netherworld._  
  
He moved slowly across the room to block the doorway. In that moment, she realized that the great and powerful Count of Serenno did not understand the nature of her existence. He was trying to trap her, an interdimensional being. If he didn’t understand her, it suddenly made sense that he most likely didn’t understand her Father either. He must have thought Obi-Wan was still alive when he attacked him. She had puzzled over the attack at the women’s clinic for weeks. They had all assumed that Dooku due attacked Obi-Wan because of their long-standing rivalry but now she understood in that Count Dooku thought her Father was a mortal being.

It wasn’t much, but she did have the advantage. “Sir, please take these” She handed him a charcoal tablet with a flashing smile. “If you’re feeling up for it, I was wondering if would you care to join me for cup of tea? I’ve heard the catina up the street has very nice scones.”

Dooku was taken aback. “Why yes, that would be quite nice.”

Jinn escorted him out the side exit, past the dumpster where Dooku had stashed the body of Merta, the new medic. His cape fluttered in the breeze as they stepped onto the sunny street. He smiled at his lovely companion and inhaled the relaxing scent of rosemary bushes. 

“What a splendid day.” He remarked as she took his arm. He could feel her trembling with fear. It warmed his heart to think of a Kenobi girl quaking in terror beside him. “The weather is simply divine.”

“Yes.” She forced herself to smile. “I was dying to get outside.”


	47. Lando and the Galactic News

Location: Coruscant

Galactic reporter, Zusie Merkle, adjusted her microphone. 

"Here, please allow me to be of assistance." Lando deftly unbuttoned another button of her jacket, settling the mic lower into her ample cleavage. 

The blinding broadcast studio lights came up and Lando adjusted his deep red cape so it fell effortlessly over one shoulder of his perfectly pressed, vintage Resistance uniform. He had stolen it from Han decades ago. He straightened the sleeves. It really did look better in him.

The cameraman counted them down 5-4-3-2-1.

"We are so honored to have Lando Calrissian is with us in the studio today." Zusie flashed him a megawatt smile.

"Oh thank you Zusie, it is truly a pleasure. Is everyone out there able to see how exquisitely beautiful Miss Merkle looks this evening? It is miss, isn't it?"

"Mr. Calrissian, you're too much!" Zusie pushed Lando's shoulder playfully. They'd practiced this gesture in front of a mirror to get it just right. 

"My sources tell me that you are taking a leadership role in the Resistance."

"Yes, Maz Kanata, Chewbacca and I will be taking visible roles."

Far away, at the famous Wish Spa on the planet Ephemera, her feet wrapped purple seaweed, Maz Kanata looked up in surprise as her datapad began to ring with congratulations. In his treehouse paradise on Kashyyyk, Chewbacca set down the Shi-shok jelly cake he was eating. He turned to look at his family to make sure he hadn't been hearing things on the radio.

Lando continued on, his eyes sparkling. "Maz and Chewbacca’s proven leadership will ensure the success of The Resistance for generations to come."

Maz frowned at Lando’s brazen power play. She’d still have time for a foot massage before she flew to Coruscant to ring his neck.

"And we have two more gifted warriors joining us. The first name may surprise you." Lando winked playfully as he whispered in Zusie's ear.

"Sola Kenobi? The Decapitator is part of the Resistance?!"

"I feel a hell of a lot safer with her on our side than theirs." Lando placed his hand on Zusie’s knee under the news desk. 

She swallowed hard. "That’s an excellent point."

"We want to ensure peace and prosperity throughout the galaxy but we are still at war and we need warriors."

"Yes we do." Zusie smiled directly into the camera as Lando’s fingers traced a line up her thigh.

"War isn’t pretty. Sometimes it frightens me." Lando said in his most vulnerable voice.

The reporter sighed and Lando put his hand on her arm. They'd been dating for weeks, but Zusie still got goosebumps whenever Lando touched her.

Lando looked directly at the camera. "I would like to make another announcement. Former First Order leader, Kylo Ren has defected to the Resistance. He is working for us now. He is helping us track down and destroy the First Order.

"But - but ?" 

"Zusie, there are storm troopers surrendering all over the galaxy. Many of them, like my own daughter Jannah, were kidnapped at an early age."

"Your daughter?" The seasoned reporter gaped convincingly.

"Children robbed of their innocence and conditioned to become instruments of death by the First Order."

"But Kylo Ren was a murderer -" Zusie's alarm was visible. 

"Kylo Ren was tortured from an early age into turning to the dark side. Snoke started conditioning him at the age of 7."

"Oh, my word!"

"He is undergoing extensive therapy." Lando was going off script but it sounded good. He liked the mental health angle.

"Will he be tried as a war criminal?"

Lando smiled widely. "I’m going to turn that question over to General Poe Dameron."

Poe sat in the far corner of the studio, fully miked up. He stared at Lando in disbelief. He still wasn’t sure about this plan. It seemed reckless, like something he would have come up with. Poe flashed a toothy grin. "Zusie, what is important to understand is that this is not a time of peace. We are still at war with the First Order. Any defector, especially from a leadership role is of utmost value. When Kylo Ren surrendered to Rey -"

"Wait, Rey the Jedi from Jakku is still alive?!"

Poe marveled that Lando's reporter girlfriend reporter had delivered the line so perfectly. "Yes."

Poe had watched in wonder as the reporters played footage of Kylo Ren being pushed by Rey in a wheelchair. In the video, Rey’s expression was determined as Ben looked up at her with devotion. Poe had provided the video from base security logs and knew Rey was grimacing because she was trying to push Ben up a slight incline. But it certainly looked like she was in charge. "Kylo Ren is providing us with enough intel to seriously impact the remaining First Order fleet."

"My goodness. I don’t know how I feel about this. Kylo Ren? Are you sure he isn't going to hurt someone?!" Poe couldn’t help but admire the reporter’s acting abilities. 

Lando tilted his head, making sure the camera was getting his best angle. "The full force of Kylo Ren’s power will be directed against the First Order now." It was a good line. Zusie had come up with it and he felt like he had delivered it perfectly. "Make no mistake, with talented pilots like General Dameron and ferocious warriors like the Decapitator and Kylo Ren on our side, we are the scary ones now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this is a goofy chapter. It kind of needs to exist so leadership can pass from Poe to more seasoned characters.
> 
> Is it cringy? I dearly love writing Lando, especially old Lando.


	48. A Duchess deleted

Location: Cloud City, Bespin  
  


Jenza always wore red, black or white. Other colors didn’t seem to suit her. In her youth, she had gravitated towards pastels to set off her pale blue eyes. It was Dooku’s influence that finally convinced her that boldness suited her.

She had intended to dress down for the symphony. Up until the last moment, she had been dressed in a black silk shantung dress jacket with matching pants and head scarf. The acclaimed composer Vyncheesi had not released new work in 40 years. The reclusive artist was Jenza’s favorite and she had jumped at the chance to hear his new symphony on opening night. It promised to be divine and she couldn’t resist the impulse to dress up to celebrate the occasion. 

Out of her archives, she had chosen a blood red dress with voluminous fur sleeves and black elbow length gloves. She painted her lips deep crimson and inserted the brown contact lenses necessary to obscure her unusual light eyes. Feeling daring, she pinned a large broach at her neck. It was the only piece of jewelry that she had retained from her previous life as the Duchess of Serenno. To the untrained eye, it looked like a large ragged, raw ruby simply set in silver. Only a true gemologist would guess that it was a priceless Qixoni crystal which had belonged to her mother, Anya. 

⇄

Jenza’s mother Anya had not been a great beauty nor did she hold an impressive title. But she had been born the incredible gift of Force Influence. The 2nd of four children, Anya had used her Force to influence people her entire life. She always had the best bedroom, the first choice of hair ribbons, the Qixoni crystal and, in time, the man her sister had been promised to marry. When the very plain Anya met the very handsome Gora, future Count of Serenno, she turned all of her influence on him. By the honeymoon, she realized the terrible error of her choice; she had used the Force to compel a Force Hater to marry her.

⇄  
  
Location: Ajan Kloss  
  


The ancient security system on Ajan Kloss shrieked an alert just as Wipolo poured out his tea. 

“When are we going to replace that stupid thing?” He wondered out loud. Harry, Ben and Rey were on Naboo, prepararing for the dedication gala. It was up to him to turn off the squawking alarm and make a log entry of the clunky transport carrying the welders who were working on Harry’s planetary shield reactor. 

The code box was tricky to open and Wipolo sliced his finger trying to punch in the 6 digit override code for the alarm. It was a small cut and he steadied his Force to heal it. He loved the way blue light shone from his fingertips as he repaired the wound. It made him think of Jinn. 

The welder’s joked with each other as they made trips across the courtyard, carrying their gear. Wipolo greeted them with a polite wave. Sensing a strange presence, Wipolo looked up in shock. “What is she doing here?” he hissed. 

The workers looked around to see who Wipolo was talking about.

Jenza strode purposefully through the group of welders. She wore a red suit with a slightly darker red sweater underneath. Her long, elegant neck was stacked with strand upon strand of black pearls. Pale gray hair swept away from her face like a wave and her heavily kohl rimmed eyes surveyed the jungle base with disdain.  
  


“Wipolo, my darling! I am here to check on Harlon’s progress!”  
  


“Grandmother?” Wipolo stared at her in alarm. “What are you doing here?”  
  
“Walk with me, dear.” He offered her his arm and they walked past the Jedi Temple. “Money well spent, wouldn’t you say? This building is your mother’s little project, if I’m not mistaken.”

Wipolo knew better than to discuss his mother’s finances with anyone, especially his Grandmother. Jenza and Maris constantly tried to outdo each other. 

The welders trudged past Jenza without giving her a second glance. Wipolo stopped in his tracks. “What happened to you, Grandmother?  
  


Jenza smiled but her eyes were weary. “Whatever do you mean?”  
  


Wipolo’s voice shook. “They can’t see you, can they?”

Jenza glanced sideways, her eyelashes fluttering dramatically. “No darling, they can’t,” she whispered theatrically.

He forced himself to speak the words. “How long have you been dead?”  
  


Jenza searched his expression, from beginning and end. “Just a little while.” She was relieved her most perceptive grandson couldn’t comprehend the reality of her situation; that would work out for the best.  
  


His eyes filled with tears. “How- how did it happen?”  
  


“I went to the symphony last night. I simply could not resist hearing Vyncheesi’s new work on opening night. Someone called out _duchess_ and I knew he had finally found me.”

Jenza had simplified the story, as she often did. It was a better version of events; a tidier narrative for him to tell and retell. Her gentle grandson did not need to know that she’d tried to run from Dooku or that she’d been sedated, her body falling limp and drug unceremoniously down an empty corridor.

Unnoticed by her assailant, Jenza had dropped her Qixoni crystal broach. It would be found soon enough and given to its new owner. It would not be passed on to her family; they had suffered enough due to her associations with the Force. The worthless looking crystal had instructions engraved on the back, requesting it be sent to a young Jedi named Rey.  
  


“Did you suffer?” Tears flowed freely from Wipolo’s dark eyes.  
  


Jenza wiped his cheeks with a handkerchief. She was relieved that he didn’t understand that she was a Force Projection. She would keep her abilities secret until her dying breath; which might not be too far away. It would be far better for her family to mourn her than to know the tangled truth.

When she caught her grandson’s eyes, she looked down demurely with a perfect half-smile. It was a well practiced gesture Wipolo had seen often over the years. He could not hazard a guess what feelings lurked behind Jenza’s smile; he had never truly understood his Grandmother.

They stood in front of the planetary shield reactor where the crew of welders were working. Jenza attempted to neatly arrange her face into a smile. “ _This_ is what I’m paying for?”

Wipolo shuddered as he gripped her hand. “Grandmother - I’m so sorry.”

She sighed heavily, ignoring Wipolo’s tears. “I suppose Harry has done a fine job. I honestly can’t say that I know what a planetary shield is supposed to look like. He’s always been so clever.” There would be plenty of time for grief later. Jenza flashed her million dollar smile. “I need you to promise me something, my dear darling boy. I know your mother asked you to try to help her connect to Sifo-Dyas’ spirit or whatever you call it.”

Wipolo covered his eyes, trying to hold back tears. 

Jenza squeezed his hand. “I don’t care what your mother said. You will not go looking for him in the Netherworld, or anywhere else. Is that understood? Make up whatever lie you wish.” Her blue eyes flashed. “Do not let your mother find Sifo. He isn’t the man she remembers. She was just a child when he died.”

Wipolo’s vision blurred with tears as his Grandmother’s image started to fade away. “Please don’t go.”  
  


Her crimson lips brushed against his cheek. “I do hope Harry is wearing a decent suit to that gala on Naboo. I spent a lot of money trying to make it look like Lando Calrissian is an effective fundraiser.”


	49. The Blood

Location: Ajan Kloss

Jinn materialized in the courtyard of Ajan Kloss. She struggled to stand, her arms and torso were soaked in blood.

Wipolo dropped the plate he was carrying to steady her. “My gods, Jinn! What happened? What’s wrong?!”

Her voice was barely a whisper. “He killed them. He killed them all.”

Wipolo pulled back to check her for injuries. “Who killed who?”

“Dooku,” she whispered.

“What?!”

“The medical clinic, Black -Black Spires,” she managed to whisper. He killed them all. Ferean. Unogra. The new Medic. He killed them. He was - I tried to get him out of there." Her eyes found his. 

"My gods, Jinn."

"He came there looking for me and - and I got him to go to the Cantina with me. But then I got away from him and by the time I got back to warn them, he had killed them all." 

Wipolo’s wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. "I’m so sorry. I'm so sorry."

“Dooku - he - he found the wall, where - where you wrote with your blood." Jinn stammered.

Wipolo’s posture tensed.

"He - he knows about you. He’s going to figure it out." Her face collapsed in tears. "He’s going to know."

His arms crushed her to him. She had never felt his full strength before. Without warning his Force opened to her like a landscape and a flash of his memories coarsed through her. His island, treehouses, dense forests, statues on a lonely beach.

"Kashyyyk?" She whispered. 

He didn’t answer her. He studied her face, trying to memorize it. 

She nodded. "I'll come to you. I'll find you there."

"I have to go tonight. I'll leave with the workers and disappear. But I can’t live without you."

"I’ll come."

"Will you tell Leaia?" 

"I will."


	50. Backstage

Location: Theed, Naboo

Ben stood next to Rey and Lando at the front of the large hanger. Large Resistance flags hung from the ceiling and a small stage had been constructed with a ramp on either side. Guests milled about or sat at large round tables with bright towering red candles serving as center pieces. Everyone was drinking and happy. He had hated crowds. This was a nightmare.

Rey picked at the beading on her dress. It was a variation on her traditional Jakku tunic but crafted out of fine silk embroidered with thousands of tiny iridescent glass beads. Instead of pants, she wore a long, narrow skirt that felt far too tight. Swans had swept her hair into braids crisscrossing to create a crown.

“I look like Leia,” she muttered. 

“That was the point.” Lando spoke through a clenched smile as he waved to donors.

“The neckline is so low, I look foolish. I can’t believe Swans talked me into wearing this.” Rey glanced at Swans, who was working security, envious of her tiered black dress. She returned to picking at the beads, pleased to feel one slide off into her grasp. She rolled it between her fingers until it dropped to the floor with dozens of others.

“Why not present Leia’s half-sisters instead of me?”

“Interdimensional Kenobi children are a bit hard to explain. At best, they’re a distraction from our agenda. You’re the war hero. You are the star of tonight.”

Rey looked over the room filled with uniforms of every vintage. “Practically Everyone in this room is a war hero.”

“Our donors are the ones who need to focus their attention and their wallets on you.”

Rey watched as Sola autographed young soldier’s neck. “What about Sola? People seem to really like her.”

Lando nodded appreciatively. He had grossly underestimated Sola's popularity and social grace. “Sola is remarkable as a symbol of savagery. She’s extremely useful because she’s done things on video that make Kylo Ren look tame. Viewers will see them together tonight and pair their deeds collectively.”

“How is that a good thing?” 

Lando nodded at an old Rodian across the room. “Solas' history of violence is finite and easily recalled. Ben’s misdeeds are infinite and hard to calculate. If I’m going to keep Leia’s son from being executed for war crimes, we must sway public opinion."

"Oh, that makes sense." Since he'd started dating the Galactic News reporter, Lando had started talking like their lives were one non-stop public relations event.

“Stop pulling off the beads.” Lando said through a clenched smile. “It makes you look nervous.”

Rey frowned.

“And Stop biting your nail, you look like a child.” He checked his beeping comm link. “Actually keep biting your nails. Zusie said she thinks it’s endearing. Nibble away.”

"I don’t understand the purpose of this. It’s idiotic parading Ben and Sola in front of the press like this. Why do we even need to dedicate a base? Just put up a sign and be done with it."

Lando sighed. There were only so many times he could explain the same thing to Rey. 

"This isn’t about the base. This is step one of a very large plan. People, wealthy people, get to stand in the same room as you and the heroes of the rebellion. They can take their picture with Poe and shake his hand."

"They get to be in the same room as Ben and not get killed." 

"Exactly!" Lando's voice was so positive, so confident that Rey couldn't help but smile.

⇆

Backstage was the safest place for Harry to be; he was visible to the people who mattered but hidden in the shadows. Ben Solo looked as uncomfortable in his Resistance uniform as Harry felt in his tuxedo. 

The schedule was for Galactic News anchor Zusie Merkle to introduce Lando. Photo. Lando would say a few words about Rey and the victory on Exegol. Photo. Then Sola would push Ben out onto the Stage in a wheelchair. Photo. Photo. Photo. Ben and Sola disappear. Then Poe would officially dedicate the new base, revealing the name as the Leia Organa Resistance Base. Photo. And then everyone drinks themselves to death. The End.

Harry was only there to meet with donors who had donated the materials for the planetary shields. He was expecting to hear from his wealthy grandmother or mother that evening. They had both donated generously to the new base. When his comm link buzzed, he was not expecting to hear from Wipolo 

"Harry, get out of there now!"

"I can’t talk," Harry whispered. "Ben is going on stage with Sola soon. I’ll talk to you after -"

"You have to leave now. He killed Grandmother."

Harry backed out of the stage area and locked himself in a bathroom. "What happened?"

"You need to leave now. He - he killed Jinn’s coworkers. He’s going to find out about me and I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean?"

"He has my blood." Wipolo said slowly.

"Good gods, what did you do? Maybe I don't want to know?"

"I did something stupid." Wipolo admitted. "I left blood on the wall of Jinn’s examining room."

"But it's a medical clinic, I'm sure there's blood everywhere. How did he -"

"I wrote her name in my blood."

'Well, fuck." Harry sighed heavily. "OK. OK. It’s going to be OK."

⇆

Harry searched for Rose on the floor of the gala. He did a double-take at her regal appearance. "You look hot." He breathed in her ear as he guided her into the women's bathroom and locked the door behind them.

Rose licked her lips involuntarily. "It's nice to see you Harry. Whew, you do look nice in a suit but I’m gonna say PASS."

"Rose -"

She regained her composure. "I mean, I'm flattered because you sleep with _everyone_ and you’re finally getting around to me. So, from a certain perspective, it’s really nice to be included. But I'm your supervisor soooooo, no thanks." 

He took her hand gently. "I need to leave Naboo right now and I need your help. You need to delete my records from the Resistance Database as soon as possible. Make sure there are no trails leading to Ajan Kloss."

"I already did."

"What?"

Rose tugged at the neckline of her sleek, red cowl neck dress. She studied her reflection in the mirror as she spoke. "When I figured out who you were, I ‘disappeared’ your records. Poe made a fucking mess of paperwork surrounding Wipolo but I took care of that too. I backdated some records to make sure that he ‘died’ on Exegol."

Harry hugged her, tightly. "Rose, you’re so amazing. You're a genius."

"Yes, I am. I think I just peed a little bit."

⇆

Harry burst out of the hanger being used for the gala and was immediately faced with a blaster. "What are you doing out here? This is a secure hallway." Swans had always been suspicious of Harry. 

"I need you to tell Leia something."

"Tell her yourself, pretty boy."

Harry grabbed a pen and wrote the name of the island on a piece of paper and showed it to Swans. "Tell me you know where this is."

"I don’t and get that fucking paper out of my face."

He wrote the word Kashyyyk underneath it and pointed to the name of the planet. "You’ve been everywhere. I know you’ve been there. You can hire a boat on the coast near the big statues. Please, please tell me you know what I'm talking about." 

"OK, OK."

"Just don’t forget the name of the island." Harry lit the paper on a candle. 

"What the hell?! You’re gonna set off a smoke detector!"

"You will tell no one but Leia."

"Why are you being such a dick? What happened?" Swans felt herself starting to panic. 

"My grandfather found Jinn. He’s been on Batuu. Your sister needs you."

Swans looked into the hanger at Sola, Rey and Ben. "I can’t leave. What am I supposed to do? I can’t leave."

⇆

Rey and Ben stood ‘backstage’. Massive resistance flags had been hung from the ceiling to frame the makeshift stage that Lando insisted on for dramatic effect. Ben eyed the wheelchair he no longer needed. Everything felt wrong. He rested his hands flat against the cool, smooth walls of the hanger. Rey shifted nervously, trying not to touch her face or hair. He tried not to laugh as she plucked tiny beads off her dress. Iridescent sparkles littered the ground around them like snow.

Rey grabbed his hand. "I don’t know how much longer I can last. I hate this. When can we leave?"

Ben sighed dramatically as he eased himself back into the wheelchair. He pulled her onto his lap. "Come here; stop fussing."

She frowned, placing a hand over her stomach. "I can’t even drink. This whole thing would be a lot better if I was drunk."

He kissed her cheek softly. "Look out there. All those people gave money to the Resistance and are probably going to give more after meeting you tonight. Each of those tables cost 20,000 credits to reserve. There was a waiting list for tonight. One company bought 2 tables. One single donor bought an entire table. Look at that - wait. Oh fuck."

"What?"

"Where’s Swans?" He patted his pockets, looking for his comm link.

"What’s wrong?" Rose appeared by their side. 

"He’s here."

"Who?"

Ben pointed into the crowd. "Dooku." 

"No, no, no." Rey jumped off Ben’s lap and leaned to look out into the crowd. Dooku wore an elegant back suit and tie. He looked younger than when she’d seen him on Kebolar. His gray hair had been tinted brown, his wrinkles were less pronounced. 

Rose gripped Ben’s arm. Holy fuck. He’s with Beaumont. Dear god. They’re - they’re talking."

"We have to warn Harry."

Rose couldn't take her eyes off Beaumont. "Harry’s gone. He just left."

"He saw Dooku?"

"No." Rose stammered. Something happened with his family. He had to leave."

Rey reached for the weapon she’d been forced to check at the door. Ben punched in the distress code on his comm link as Dooku turned to look at them. Beaumont continued to chatter away robotically. 

Rose studied Beaumont’s face. She hadn’t seen him in two weeks but he seemed so different. His hair was artfully swept back from his face and he wore an expensive-looking suit. He looked rich. He looked like Dooku. 

Swans and Sola came running from the security checkpoints, fully armed. Rey pointed, wordlessly, to Dooku who bowed slightly with a formal wave. Beaumont glanced at them blankly and waved. Rey could tell, immediately, that he was under Dooku’s control. 

⇆

Swans and Rey walked side by side to Dooku's table. Sola guarded Ben and the others.

Dooku rose to greet them with a slight bow. "Rey, I do hope your pregnancy is going well. And you must be Miss Swans Kenobi. You really are quite lovely in person. Those pictures of you don’t do you justice."

"Thank you, Count. 

You look a great deal like your Mother. And my stars, your sister Sola is quite charming."

Swans bristled. "If I understand correctly you’re already acquainted with my sister Jinn. I heard you murdered her coworkers." 

"Oh, murder is such a dramatic word. I have to ask, my dear, is Sola wearing a bridesmaid dress? That shade of pink is quite hard to pull off. It looks fresh off the rack."

"I wish Anakin had managed to kill you." Rey spoke through a tight smile. 

"Miss Kenobi, you truly are exquisite." Dooku nodded at her delicate black ruffled dress. "Your dress is reminiscent of Poinocet."

"It is Poinochet, vintage. It used to have a belt but regretfully, I had to use it choke someone. I couldn't get it to lay right after that."

"It's still exquisite."

"Yes, you already said that. Your suit Poinochet is as well?"

"Of course. It is a formal occasion."

"You are under arrest for crimes of war. As a member of the Resistance Army, I’m am taking you into my custody until the time that you can be transferred to a secure location." Rey spoke firmly.

"Surely, you don’t think I’m coming with you."

"You don’t want this whole room to know who you are."

"I could not care less, Rey Palpatine. I am a patriot."

"Put your hands behind your back."

Dooku nodded at Beaumont. "I’m going to snap this man’s neck -"

Beaumont began coughing, gripping his neck helplessly

"- And I’ll crush the windpipe of every person here one after the other. Simultaneously or one by one I am in no rush. I simply wanted to get a better look at you. And your sister. She’s a bit shorter than I expected. It’s so hard to choose." He sighed, standing up to his full height. He nodded slightly at other tables and three other tables' worth of people stood with him. "It’s been a charming evening but I’m afraid it is getting a bit late for us. We did come together and I don’t want to rude leaving without them. They’ve been instructed to sacrifice themselves if the need arises - We’ll walk out of here slowly, peacefully."

Swans and Rey watched helplessly as dozens of party-goers surrounded Dooku and walked toward the exit. "Please feel free to visit me on Serenno anytime you wish." Dooku called over his shoulder. "I have a lovely guest house with what I’m told is the finest lap pool in the mid-rim."


	51. Run Away

**Location: Ajan Kloss**

Leia materialized in Harry's quarters. She was surprised to find Wipolo sorting through books. "What are you doing?" 

"I’m leaving - we’re leaving. Harry and I have to disappear. My Grandfather -" 

"I heard. Where are you going?"

"I don’t know how to tell you without telling you. I’m not supposed to say it out loud". He grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled the name of the island.

“I don’t know where that is.”

He scribbled the word Kashyyyk below it. "I hope you'll come. It’s beautiful. You can meet our family. Please?" Wipolo's voice was edged with an intensity she’d never heard before. 

"I think I can only go places I’ve been before."

"What do you mean, you can only go places you’ve gone before? That can’t be true. We can figure this. You could go with Jinn." 

"I can’t just follow Harry around."

Wipolo could feel Leia's Force energy rippling around them. There was something in Leia's energy throwing him off. "Wait. You don’t want to figure it out because -" Wipolo felt his world slowing down. He could barely speak "- you don’t want to go with Harry."

"I don't want to chase after him."

Wipolo set down a worn textbook. "Please? This isn't chasing. It's been 10 years since Harry had a girlfriend. He cares about you so much more than you know." 

"I know. I know exactly how much he cares about me but I don’t think you should go. I don’t want him to go. He still has work to do here."

"It’s just work." Wipolo countered.

"You and Harry should stay and face Dooku. I know- I know he's powerful but together I know we can destroy him." Leia pressed her lips together, fighting the impulse to cry. She would not let herself cry, not over a man.

Wipolo’s soft voice took on an icy edge. "You spent your adult life with the Resistance, running across the galaxy but you could have stopped."

"I would have never stopped," Leia snapped. 

"I don’t mean it like that, Leia." He stopped to stare at her. "I meant that you had a choice. We don’t. This isn’t a cause for us. We’re being hunted."

Leia couldn’t think of a response. Vader had hunted Luke but he had never sought her out. She’d put herself in harm's way hundreds of times but it had always been a result of her own actions. 

"My Grandfather is hunting us because he wants us. He doesn’t care about a cause. He doesn’t care about the Resistance or The First Order."

"I don’t understand why he wants you."

“He wants us to carry on his rule. Whatever the hell he's doing, he wants an heir to continue it. If he can’t have us, he wants another Force user. Like Rey." Wipolo squared his shoulders. "We need to go." 

Leis blocked Wipolo's path. "Have you ever wondered why it is that I can appear to Harry?"

"You can appear to anyone you want. You’re a Force Spirit and kind of a badass?"

"I was never a Jedi. I shouldn’t be able to be here at all."

"But your feelings for Harry are strong, right?" Wipolo wasn't sure where she was going with her reasoning.

"That’s part of it. But the other side is Harry."

"He's just Harry, the deviant Science nerd. "

Leia shook her head. "He's so much stronger than you think. On my own, I could only stay on this side a little while. Maybe 20 minutes? An hour, at the most. When I'm with Harry, I am coasting on his energy for hours and hours." She blushed, thinking of what she and Harry usually did with those hours.

"Why are you telling me this?" Wipolo was getting impatient. 

"I want you to fight," Leia implored.

"No."

"If you worked together, you and Rey and Ben- you could defeat him."

"No. You don’t understand-"

"Wipolo, you and Ben can use Force Lightning. I’ve seen you fight, you’re good. Don’t let fear stop you."

"Leia, I’m not worried about getting hurt or getting killed. I’m worried about him turning me. What fucking happens if I turn to the Dark Side? With my Force and my grandfather’s guidance? If Harry and I both turned? If he turns me, he’ll be able to get to us all. All of us: my mother, brothers, my little sister, my nephew. Dooku wants his family beside him. What fucking chance does the galaxy stand if that happens?"

Wipolo grabbed Harry's backpack. He dropped the paper with the island's name at Leia's feet before he walked past her.

"You can’t run forever," Leia called after him.

"Watch me try."


	52. A Duchess Returns

Dooku stood on the balcony of his sister’s bedroom, the sun was beginning to set and the serene landscape was bathed in golden light. The hills of Kaon resembled the sway of a lion's back. He couldn't see his future grave from this angle; it was just slightly out of sight. In this moment, life was extraordinary. He didn't notice the ache in his arms from blood transfusions, the aggravating tightness from his chin lift, the dryness of his eyes from wrinkle serums. He felt as though joy allowed him to hover above all his lonely discomforts. Pain was not the order of the day. He had Jenza, his beloved. She was his most valuable treasure, the most perfect woman he had ever known. She was even more beautiful than she had been 55 years ago. 

He was in awe of what he’d accomplished. Five years ago, he had spent a long, hot summer day torturing Jenza’s favorite composer until he agreed to come out of retirement. After years of silence, Dooku had given up on the man completing a single note. But miraculously, the fear of having the flesh peeled off another toe must have provided the necessary inspiration for a symphony. After five long years, the reclusive artist had finally premiered his work. The long-awaited trap had been set and the lure had drawn Jenza out of hiding. 

Unsure what to do with his sister, Dooku had her deposited back in her old bedroom at the castle on Serenno. Adjacent rooms were evacuated and filled with medical staff. Everything had been meticulously preserved in her long absence. Her childhood dolls and dressing gowns stood ready for her return. He had opened the windows, letting fresh air into the room for the first time in decades. 

⇆

Dooku had initially used Force Lightning to stun Jenza. It hadn't been a pretty sight; watching her convulse, the smell of burnt silk, hearing her whimper in pain. It was almost too much to bear. Since their return to Serenno, he had his medical staff put her into a prolonged twilight sleep. She was currently having a blood transfusion from Tinky and was scheduled to receive stem cell therapy later that day. Sedation would give him time to gather his wits and to exterminate her clones. 

He glanced into her bedroom. Jenza was so incredibly beautiful, it was jarring. He’d had her checked by replication specialists to verify her identity but her reaction to seeing him at the symphony had cleared away any doubt in his mind.

⇆

He had called out to her during intermission at the symphony. “Duchess Jenza! Duchess Jenza!”

He could see her posture stiffen, her kitten-heeled mules dug into the plush carpet like a warrior. They were practically alone at the mezzanine bar. He twirled the whiskey glass in his hand, relishing the sound of ice cubes clinking together.

Jenza had whirled around, her eyes narrowed to angry slits. “You vile murderer! I’ve never met a more worthless man in my entire life,” she’d enunciated every word in her regal Serenno accent. 

His face had broken into a wide smile, so bright that he feared he’d torn his eyelid tape. “At last, you are mine.”

⇆

He wasn’t sure what to do about the obvious disconnection between her appearance and the Jenza clones he’d been parading around Serenno in recent years. Her hair was whiter than moonlight, she was thinner, her face more artfully sculpted, perhaps she might even be taller. He’d always thought the clones seemed stocky. Those damned Kamino cloners couldn’t get one single thing right. 

He sighed happily thinking about how satisfying it would be to slaughter her clones. Drowning might be a nice change of pace. Dooku chuckled softly knowing he’d never follow through. He always ended up choking women; it just felt right. Still, it was a pity to kill such valuable property. He tapped his chin, thinking. 

He summoned the new geneticist on staff. He’d gone through three that week. "Do you have my sister’s chart?"

"Yes sir, I’m reviewing it as we speak."

"Doctor, do you think it’s possible to harvest eggs from the Duchess?" 

The geneticist paled. "No sir, she is far past the end of her fertility cycle."

Dooku attempted a frown, he’d had to relearn the expression as the botox prevented his brow from creasing. "What would it take to make her fertile?"

"Sir. I don’t even know if that would be possible. Even for a Serenno, she is too far past the age of fertility. She’s - she’s over a hundred years old."

"I am well aware of my sister’s age. I would like the Duchess and I to have three children." 

The geneticist looked from Dooku to Jenza’s unconscious form. "Sir, your sister is an elderly woman; she cannot bear a child." 

“Don’t be daft. We simply need her eggs. There is a perfectly good clone of my sister here and two others living on Zeltros. There’s no reason they can’t carry our children.” And finally be of some use, Dooku thought to himself.

The geneticist coughed. “With all due respect sir, even if we were able, we cannot by law, create an embryo from half-siblings. It’s illegal.”

“Yes, I’ve heard that several times.” He waved his hand in front of the geneticist’s face, using his Force influence. “That will be the last time you say that and now you will get started on your work.” 

He smiled into the bedroom mirror to check his teeth. The whitening paste was doing wonders. 

⇆

When she woke into this nightmare, her body wouldn’t work. Her hands were numb, heavy clubs, her hips stood like tree trunks without pivot points. She searched for a sharp implement of any kind. Death was her best option. 

No mirrors, no scissors, not even a pen. She had once read of an actress who had managed to stab herself with a dagger. That would be easy. Her vision blurred as she worked mightily to turn toward the closet. Surely there would be a curtain rod that could take her weight.

⇆

The wide faced teenager had been the one to explain the gravity of her situation in simple terms. 

Jenza had asked Tinky for a moment of privacy before the blood transfusion. The teen stared at her blankly. “No. Master Dooku said you can never be left alone. Ever.” It was like hearing a death sentence. 

Nurses and doctors had been hovering over her constantly. Her every bodily function was recorded. Blood was drawn every two hours from a port in her arm, her temperature taken, her blood pressure monitored. Constant beeping, a constant vitamin drip, a constant application of face masks and wrinkle creams. She welcomed the quiet of the blood treatment room, it was peaceful. Jenza sat alone in the cold, white room with Tinky in the adjacent chair. Just the two of them. Tinky sat hunched over, staring at the datapad in her lap. She scrolled through images of smiling girls her own age. 

“Are those pictures of your friends?” Jenza whispered.

“Not IRL.” Tinky rolled her eyes at Jenza’s confused expression. “Not in real life.” 

Jenza studied the stocky child. Freshly scrubbed face, light brown hair parted in the middle, fingernails bitten down to stubs.

Jenza wondered if this unpleasant child could be an ally, a means of escape or at least the freedom to die in peace. Maybe she could befriend the girl, help the poor child become confident, get her to sneak in a knife. “Are you lonely, Tinky?” 

“No.” 

“Oh. Do you have friends here?”

“No.” Tinky continued to scroll, clicking a heart button on every image.

This could be her opening. “Don’t you wish you had real life friends here?”

“No.”

“Everybody needs a friend.”

Tinky stared at her, glasses slipping down her nose. “Everybody here is like, totally poor, ugly and not fashion forward.” Tinky practically spit out the words. “They’re trash.”

Jenza gulped. “You’d rather just sit here, looking at pictures of strangers?”

“Yeah, I would.” Tinky rolled her eyes and turned away. 

Jenza drew in a shaky breath.  _ So much for that idea. _

⇆

Hours blurred together as the hospital grade lights bore down into her. She missed her little apartment. She forced herself to count all the apartments she’d stayed in over the years. Though she wasn’t much of a cook, it was the kitchens she remembered most clearly. Tidy spaces, full of light and possibility. She loved shopping for food. The simple joy of putting away containers of milk, storing fruits, lining up bottles of wine.

She had a routine of locking the door at night and propping a chair up under the handle. It wasn’t much of a safeguard against someone like Dooku but she always felt safer knowing the sound of the chair tipping over would give her a moment’s warning.   
  


⇆   
  


Dooku was waiting for her now. Jenza knew she had a role to play. If she didn’t ask the right questions, he would see right through her. 

She staggered to her closet to change out of pajamas. She couldn’t face him in yesterday’s clothes. Jenza’s clothes still hung in her closet, exactly where she’d left them that last day 55 years ago. A number of new, pure white couture dresses were front and center. Well cut, heavy silk. They were too large but still exquisite. She pawed at the dresses, unable to make her hands work correctly. Pushed to the back were her older clothes, hanging like a limp army of pastel ghosts.Her dusty pastel dresses were distant echoes of the past. The new clothes were what terrified her. She didn’t want a future here.

Dooku had set out a white satin suit for her. _A bit tacky but a good silhouette for her._ Brand new, still adorned with tags. _Lazy asshole._ There were new slippers, toiletries, fresh flowers. 

⇆

He was standing on her balcony; his back to her. Moving too quickly made the vomit rise in her throat. He was wearing a tuxedo without the tie. He turned to smile at him and her heart lept involuntarily. He was still so damn debonair. So handsome. Her vision flickered, growing dim for a moment. that couldn’t possibly be a good sign.   


The light was so bright, everything turned red for a startling moment. Jenza closed her eyes and spots danced behind her eyes. When she opened them, the spots slid and contracted. She was nauseated. 

“Come here, my dear. Sit down” Dooku offered his hand. It looked older than the rest of him. The nails were thick, the skin spotted. 

Jenza didn’t move a muscle, she wasn’t sure she could move at all. Being near him felt like a strong drink on an empty stomach. She stared at her hand, surprised to see that she was gripping the tags of the new suit. There were four tags for one jacket. The brand, the store, the price and the washing instructions. It seemed so excessive but perfectly ordinary. A suit from a mid-level designer on Coruscant with shitty plastic buttons and flattering darts. How could something so pleasant seem so abstract? The cloth came from a distant world, probably milled by unpaid children, sewn by underpaid women, shipped from the midrim by men who dreamed of becoming pirates. The suit had survived all that only to end up clenched in her too tight hands

On unsteady legs, she limped forward. Her knuckles scraped against the wall as she willed herself to the balcony. Jenza lunged for the railing but her left foot caught on something and she stumbled. He steadied her elbow with a smile. 

"I have you tethered by the Force, my love. You cannot escape."

"I was only trying to kill myself." Jenza hissed.

"You won’t be doing that either, you have something I need."

"I won’t tell you the location of our child."

"Oh, I know that, I have asked you many times." Dooku smiled goodnaturedly.

"What?"

"It’s been 6 weeks since you came here and I've asked you about our daughter every single day."

Jenza felt like gravity had shifted. "What?! I don’t remember - 6 weeks?"

"Oh, yes. We’ve done blood therapy, a bit of DNA editing, stem cell treatments, recapped your teeth, and gave you manicures."

"I don’t remember. Anything." She pulled her suit jacket tight with her good hand.  _ What else had happened to her? _

"The doctors call it a twilight sleep. You were able to be up and walking around. I wouldn't want you to get a blood clot, of course. It afforded me the opportunity to question you thoroughly. I know our daughter’s name: Fay." He exhaled sharply through his nostrils. "I was very disappointed. You knew I had another name picked out."

"You’re mad about that?" Jenza was incredulous. "I've been gone for 55 years and you're fixiating on this?" 

“Of course.” 

Jenza steadied herself. She couldn't afford to lose her temper now, for gods sake. She had no power, nothing to bargain with except the knowledge of her grandchildren's existence. She had to figure out what Dooku knew without tipping her hand. _Calm, calm, calm. Look at the sunset, breath deeply._ He turned to the side and she allowed herself to admire his profile. The tuxedo was quite nice. She'd always disliked it when he wore traditional Serenno clothing. It reminded Jenza of her father.  _ May he rot in peace.  _

Looking over the edge of the balcony, she estimated that falling from the second floor wouldn't be enough to kill her. It wasn't worth breaking a leg, or was it? She'd have to find a more efficient way to die.

Dooku poured a cup of tea for her and placed it in her hand.

"I could use something stronger; a firing squad would be nice."

There were students on the lawn of the castle. They wore matching gray tunics, black pants, and shiny boots. She studied the scene with curiosity. "So, what the hell is this?"

"This is my school, dear sister."

Instructors were leading older children in training forms using colorful staffs. Younger children sat in the shade listening to stories and picking at the green grass. In the distance, she could see the unmistakable glow of lightsabers, glowing in perfectly orchestrated maneuvers. _Dear gods, what kind of school was this?_


	53. Paternity

"You look beautiful today, Jenza." 

She remained silent; searching for the right words. Her anger and outrage had to be measured out correctly if her performance was to be believable. If she could do one last thing, it would be to protect her family. Lies could only carry her so far.

She sipped the tea slowly, pleased to find that it didn't taste medicated. "Why did you have to kill Sifo?" 

"I did not kill him. I ordered his death. His ship was shot down, he died almost instantly." 

Jenza chose her words carefully. "He was your friend."

"Sifo was my best friend. And I did not order his death out of spite."

"Out of allegiance to your new Sith Master? To prove how low you’d be willing to sink?"

"I supposedly killed you too. Did you forget that?"

⇆

Jenza would never forget the sight of Dooku’s witch apprentice murdering her clone. She had wondered for so many years about Dooku's state of mind during this time period; agonizing over the one element that he had missed. In his meticulous scheme to fake their deaths, he had missed one detail. Traveling to Kamino, in person, Dooku had personally ordered clones made of Jenza and himself; he had spared no expense. His plotting and planning had been done in accordance with Sifo’s visions of the future. He had trusted Sifo's predictions completely but surprisingly, Dooku had underestimated his friend. 

As Sifo-Dyas aged, his visions had become clearer and stretched further into the future than Dooku could conceive. Sifo had foreseen Dooku’s betrayal and crafted his own escape plan. 

In his conceit, Dooku had never guessed his mentally unstable friend would be able to slip out from under his nose. Poor Sifo. Everyone pitied him, dismissed him, took care of him out of guilt. Even Dooku had treated him like a child. "Stay by my side, Sifo." Jenza remembered him saying. "Trust me, my old friend. I will keep you safe."

⇆

Dooku waved to one of the instructors on the lawn before turning to address Jenza. "You’re mistaken. My reasons for killing Sifo were noble. If the Emperor found him -"

"Are you saying you were trying to save him from suffering?" Jenza interrupted.

"No. Not at all. I knew Sifo well enough; he would have gladly sacrificed himself if asked. Well, perhaps not gladly. He had to die because he was too powerful. His visions of the future were too frequent, too accurate. If the Emperor had Sifo by his side, he would have known Obi-Wan and Yoda were alive, he would have found Luke and Leia. He would have taken Rey, Caleb Dume, Ahsoka. He would have destroyed everyone."

"I don’t understand." 

"I wanted the Jedi to survive. Not all of them, of course. Quality over quantity, to be sure. But it could not continue the way it was. It had to change. It could not remain the same: a massive Temple tied too to Coruscant, serving the Chancellor, beholden to the Republic. That’s not what the Jedi were meant to be. Sifo and I knew that. We saw the corruption and we knew it was time for the prophecy to come true."

"Oh dear gods." Jenza had listened to Sifo and Dooku discuss prophecies for hours and hours. One particular one stood out above the rest. She exhaled slowly before speaking. "Only through the sacrifice of many Jedi will the Order cleanse the sin done to the nameless."

"Yes, good memory. I didn't think you knew the prophecies." 

Dooku had never paid attention to Jenza when she sat in on the fireside discussions with Sifo. He usually forgot about her until it was time for bed. She had listened to philosophical arguments, ethical debates, egotistical gibberish. They never included her or asked her opinion. Dooku had, to the best of her knowledge, never asked her opinion about anything more important than the width of his lapels.

“The nameless were the clones?” She was pleased when she heard her voice break with emotion. Her performance was perfect. Flawless.

“It was Sifo’s idea to create the Clones.” Dooku smiled proudly. “We did that together. They were the missing piece. I had not expected it to work as it did. We did not expect them to be so effective. The plan was to scatter the Jedi across the galaxy. Force them to abandon the Temple to create their own Orders, break the ties to the Republic. I honestly didn’t think the clones would be able to defeat so many Jedi. That part continues to bother me a bit.”

“You’re sick. You allowed the deaths of so many. You fanned the flames of war.” Jenza hoped she sounded convincing. She could never let on that she had heard this story a hundred times from crazy, old Sifo.

“I did it all for this.” He nodded at the students sparring with their Masters across the grounds. “My school, my masterpiece."

“This?! This school was your endgame?”

“Yes. My new Jedi Order.”

“OK, then. Well played. May I please leave? You don’t certainly don't need me.” She watched his expression closely as she delivered her most important line. “You don’t need our child for this.”

“But I do need her.” The three of us _must be_ the caretakers of this new Order. I will trust no one but my own blood. We are the guardians of the future.”

Jenza’s relief was absolute, she could feel her entire soul relax. He did not know about his grandchildren. “Your daughter wants no part of your legacy -”

“She does not know me. She does realize the privilege she is giving up.”

Now that she had the information she wanted, Jenza didn’t care enough to be civil. “You’re draining the blood out of little children to stay alive.”

“Tinky is many things but _little_ is not one of them.” Dooku snorted. “Despite having no motivation or aptitude, she is receiving a quality education. On other planets, she would have a vocation by now.”

“Oh, you’re such a prince of the man that you don’t allow child labor.” She huffed. “And this is your argument that the theft of her blood is acceptable.”

“They volunteer their blood. I am quite proud of them. They allow me to remain healthy.”

“You’re proud of this situation? And these are the words of a gentleman?” Jenza winced, she knew that she was letting herself get too dramatic. She needed to dial her performance back a bit.

“No. Do you really think I celebrate the inferiority of my discrepant form? The decay in which I inhabit? Duchess, do you think that I would not gladly lay down and die if I had a heir?”

“Please go right ahead and die. I will happily dig a hole."

“And I would gratefully fall into the restful arms of death if there was anyone else I could entrust to carry forth my school.” 

“So ask one of these tall, kind-faced children to take over.” Even as she spoke the words, a strange feeling was beginning to take over. She knew these children. They all seemed very familiar to her. _What the hell was going on?_

He took note of her puzzled expression and pulled her to her feet. “You can tell how special this school is, can’t you? Stand right here and admire the view, my dear.” 

Jenza let herself take in the scene for a moment. It did feel good; the Force rolling over her in tepid waves. The children, the students, the instructors were all joined by an incredibly peaceful force. She could almost lose herself in the exquisite flow of the Force. Then the tags of her jacket dug into her palm; the pain helping her refocus.

“What do you see?” Dooku’s low voice rumbled in her ear.

Her vision was blurry in one eye. She blinked hard and tried to focus. There were so many children to take in. They were all so different, so refined looking. “Oh gods. You seem to have one of each species. Like a zoo!”

“No, no. Keep looking, my dear sister.”

They were each a bit off - Jenza -studied the scene more closely. They were not quite as expected. A Chiss girl did not have red eyes, the Twi'lek’s lekku were too small and oddly shaped, a Pantoran instructor was the palest shade of blue she’d ever seen, there was a girl with orange skin and Tonruta marking but glossy black hair. The light was so bright, the floating spots in her eyes were becoming ripples again. She had to close her eyes. 

Dooku smiled “I must give credit where credit is due. The project was Sifo’ idea. They are all hybrids?”

“Hybrids? Clones?”

“Oh no, not clones. Clones are inferior life forms.”

Dook stood up straighter, his posture altered dramatically. “The Emperor was fixated on midichlorians.” He thought he could create life!” His arm extended with a flourish that made Jenza cringe. His dramatic side had always embarrassed her. “The emperor would cast his decrepit hands about a woman, mumble some words and - it was actually quite funny. I was obliged to travel with him for these performances. My function was that of a personal secretary. It was humiliating to say the least. I had been tasked with the responsibility of keeping the women peaceful after their ‘force encounter’.” Dooku laughed. “Of course, they were all terrified after being tormented by that hag. After he did his little routine, I performed the task of actually planting life in their wombs.”

“You raped them?!”

“Oh no my dear, I wouldn’t say that. I impregnated them, yes. Perhaps the correct term would be inseminated them. Don’t look so horrified. It’s far kinder than allowing them to birth some sort of mangled Force creation. Good gods, you can’t imagine the sort of ghastly mutations his interference was creating.”

“They - they are all yours?”

“No, not a one. I have never been unfaithful to you.” Well, except with your clones and they’re barely worth mentioning. “

“Repellent but not surprising.”

Dooku breathed in, slowly. She could tell he was growing impatient with her. It thrilled her to make him angry. 

“Can you guess the paternity?”

“No.” 

“You must try harder.”

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to be looking at, brother.”

“You can’t see it yet? Look closer”

Jenza watched the children spar, watched them speak to their teachers. They were tall, well proportioned, they stood attentive as their instructors corrected them. She wanted to close her eyes so badly. 

Dooku continued, he seemed to be slipping closer and closer to her. “The emperor was so fixated on having an heir. He had a child with a woman from his household staff but it was not enough for him because the child was female. He had so little respect for women, he held them in low regard. Even after he had a perfectly adequate child, he continued his madness with midichlorians, traumatizing women across the galaxy.”

“Just randomly?”

“No, they had to be intelligent and force sensitive to some degree to rate an assault. The only way I could stop him was to make sure they became pregnant. Otherwise the torment was endless.”

“What? That’s awful.”

“Even after I wiped their memory, these women were never the same. They knew something was amiss. Single ones, married, widows. They all knew there was something unnatural about the conception. You may fault me for generalizing, but most of them were quite happy to be rid of these children.”

“They are the rejects, actually. Palpatine had each child tested but the offspring were never a match for his DNA.” Dooku shrugged theatrically. “Had he thought to test them against each other, he might have noticed that a great number of those children had the same father.”

“These students are those children that you inseminated?”

Dooku nodded. “We tested their midichlorian levels, I know because I was there to supervise the lab results. Despite all of that special attention by the Emperor, the funniest thing happened, almost none of the children had high levels of midichlorians. So odd. Test after test came back with very low numbers. He smiled smugly. The experiment was a failure.”

Jenza couldn’t help but be impressed. “You tampered with the results? He would have killed you if he’d found out - tortured you for decades.”

“Oh, I let him have a few here and there. Some became Inquisitors, healers, generals. Where, o where could we send the others? I kindly volunteered to take in the unfortunate children and provide them a safe haven. He came here many times, to check on them but the children of very little interest to him as they were not aggressive, not violent.”

Jenza shook her head, unable to process the information. 

“Their father was the most exceptional Jedi that I have ever known.”

“Qui Gon Jinn?!”

“Yes. He was the finest man I have ever known.”

She couldn’t make her mouth work correctly. “What the fuck have you done?”

Dooku looked out at his student proudly. “Dear sister, I have built the future as it should be.”


	54. Light

Leia sat beside Ben and Rey as they hashed out ideas for their Jedi Temple. He kept a hand on her stomach, hoping to feel the fluttering kick of their baby. Leia loved watching Ben work.

He held a battered copy of the Jedi Path teaching manual. Leia recognized Luke’s handwriting on the cover. Improbably, it had been saved from the old Temple on Coruscant and used by Luke when he started his own school. Ben was slowly retyping the book so it could be reprinted for the incoming students.

”I’m only keeping the best parts,” Ben said softly. Leia’s heart ached thinking about her two favorite people taking on the challenge of training a new generation of Jedi. She was so proud of their bravery. She’d rather take on the Hutts than teach a bunch of little children.

Their small, well funded temple would start with just a few students at first. Swans had found one student on Couresant, two were coming from Cantonica and a Twi’Lek teenager was supposedly coming from Dantooine. Shadda Kenobi had been granted permission to attend a couple days a week as long as she didn't hurt anybody. 

Students could go home on weekends and talk to their families whenever they wanted. There would be no talk of celibacy. Jedi History would serve as a launching point for a thorough curriculum of other subjects. Rey would teach them mindfulness and meditation. Jinn could teach them healing. Swans and Ben could teach them lightsaber forms if they could handle being around children. 

"You two have the worst tempers of anyone I know. We're going to have a bunch of ragey little Jedi." Rey teased. "They'll all be attacking trash cans and trying to mind-wipe each other all day."

Ben set down his book to stare at Rey, his eyes sparkling with mock outrage."You asked me if I could use Force lightning on a bird this morning."

"I'm pregnant!" Rey countered. "It's very difficult to sleep with this horrendous racket all night. Plus you're up all night doing gods know what."

"I'm right next to you, reading books. There’s nothing mysterious about it."

Leia mussed Ben’s hair and walked away from the pair, leaving them to bicker. A small light shone in Harry's quarters. One of the welders must have left have forgotten to shut something down. 

She missed Harry already. The sweet lavender scent that always seemed to surround him, even after a shower. His easy smile, his gentle caring nature and calm focus. She loved the way he walked so slowly. She loved the way he watched her like a predator.

She entered his quarters and was stunned to find him at his chalkboard, writing out material lists and cost projections. As always, his shirt was unbuttoned, his headphone plugged into nothing at all.

Leia tugged his shoulder and he turned to stare at her. "I thought you left."

”No.”

”Do Ben and Rey know you’re here?”

Harry pulled his headphone down around his neck. ”I’ll tell them soon. I have so much work to do.”

“Why did you come back?” 

"I couldn’t leave you. I can’t do it."

"Harry?"

"I take that back - after I finish all of the shield generators, I _will_ actually have to go. My Mother will have me kidnapped if I’m not done in a month." He stared at her sweetly. "I don't really know what I'm saying, I don't know if I could go a single night without seeing you."

"I can’t believe you’re staying."

"I'm gonna finish all eleven of the planetary generators and satellites." He looked down, sheepishly. "You're were right about standing up to my Grandfather. I'm not strong with the Force like Wipolo. And I'm not brave like you but I can do this one thing to help keep people safe. I want to do something good with my life. I'm tired of being invisible."

"I see you pretty clearly, Harry."

"When I'm done, will you come with me?"

"OK. I mean maybe." Leia wasn't sure how to tell him that she'd follow him anywhere. She couldn't allow herself be the person she'd been all those years, waiting for Han.

He squared his shoulders. "OK. I'll take that maybe. I'll take anything because I’m crazy about you, Leia."

She wrapped her arms around his waist. She looked up at him, not sure what to say. He stared down at her with an openness that melted her heart. _How long had he been looking at her that way?_ Leia realized she was smiling back at him. It was safe to be in love with him. Her heart was safe with him.

—

Far, far away Jenza trudged through the hallways at night. It was the closest thing she could get an evening stroll. An armed nurse trailed behind her, nudging her IV pole when it banged into walls or became twisted. She could see the evening Stars through the magnificent arched windows. Somewhere out there, her family was safe.

Her daughter and grandchildren would carry on without her unseen and unknown to Dooku. That made everything bearable. Almost bearable.   
  


She counted smoke detectors as she walked. There were seven on each floor. She closed her eyes and happily envisioned the heavy blue velvet curtains going up in flames. The carpet would burn so nicely. She had didn’t have a plan yet but she knew from her years with Sifo, that a vision was enough to get started. It could be enough to build an army of millions or destroy an Order. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have more written but I’m pausing to take a break and write about Ahsoka for awhile. It will be set on Maris’ island so there is a cross over with the OC as well as a few Netherworld Canon characters.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
